How composting pumpkins in Henrico County helps out the environment
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Did you compost your Halloween pumpkin in Henrico County as part of its program? Here's how you're helping out the environment, according to the county. The county said the Henrico Environmental Action Resource Team and Keep Henrico Beautiful collected 1,708 pounds of pumpkin during its composting program. That amounts to about 68 to 85 medium-sized pumpkins. Composting -- which is a controlled way to turn organic matter into a nutrient-rich material that can be added to soil -- decreases the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. This process builds soil health and provides nutrients to plants, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. According to NOPE Compost Co., cited by Henrico County, emissions saved by diverting these pumpkins from landfills were equal to: (Photo: Henrico County) 1,183 miles driven by an average vehicle 1,221 net pounds of CO2 17 incandescent bulbs switched to LEDs 52 gallons of gasoline consumed The pumpkin composting program was held from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8, but compost from regular kitchen scraps is still being accepted. Drop-off bins can be found at Springfield Road Public Use Area, located at 10600 Fords Country Lane, and Charles City Road Public Use Area, located at 2075 Charles City Road. For more information about composting in the county, visit its website.
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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Did you compost your Halloween pumpkin in Henrico County as part of its program? Here's how you're helping out the environment, according to the county.
The county said the Henrico Environmental Action Resource Team and Keep Henrico Beautiful collected 1,708 pounds of pumpkin during its composting program. That amounts to about 68 to 85 medium-sized pumpkins.
Composting -- which is a controlled way to turn organic matter into a nutrient-rich material that can be added to soil -- decreases the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
This process builds soil health and provides nutrients to plants, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
According to NOPE Compost Co., cited by Henrico County, emissions saved by diverting these pumpkins from landfills were equal to:
(Photo: Henrico County)
- 1,183 miles driven by an average vehicle
- 1,221 net pounds of CO2
- 17 incandescent bulbs switched to LEDs
- 52 gallons of gasoline consumed
The pumpkin composting program was held from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8, but compost from regular kitchen scraps is still being accepted. Drop-off bins can be found at Springfield Road Public Use Area, located at 10600 Fords Country Lane, and Charles City Road Public Use Area, located at 2075 Charles City Road.
For more information about composting in the county, visit its website.
