BEND, OR -- In about two weeks, local families will start packing up their Halloween decorations for another year, but what should you do with your jack-o-lantern? Susan Baker, Deschutes County's Waste Diversion Manager, asks that you not put it in the trash, "Residents that live in the city of Bend, Redmond, Sisters and participate in an organics curbside program, they can add their pumpkins with their yard debris and other food waste material, that would be collected by the service providers. And that material will be composted into a nutrient-rich compost, so it's a great alternative to throwing them away." Baker says it's a small step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, food waste decomposing in landfills contributes more methane emissions than any other landfill material.