Pumpkin Spiced Leaf Piles Are Back! Place pumpkins out for yard waste collection

Pumpkins are in everything this time of year. They're in lattes, cookies, cereal – even deodorant and burritos. But let's not forget you can spice up your yard waste piles with pumpkins, too!

Put your pumpkins on your leaves and yard waste pile for Streets Division crews to collect. Pumpkins contain valuable nutrients and they're better composted along with other yard waste rather than sent to the landfill.

When placing leaves and other yard waste to the curb for collection, pile that material on the terrace or at the street edge. If you choose to bag your yard waste in compostable paper bags or plastic bags, be sure to leave them open at the top so crews can identify what is inside. And never put your leaves and yard waste piles directly in the street.

When placing your pumpkins, decorative gourds, corn stalks, or other natural decorations out for yard waste collection, please set them on top of your leaf pile or leaf bags. Be sure to remove any non-compostable items like wire, tea candles, or electric lights.

City of Madison residents may also bring their pumpkins and other yard waste material to one of the Streets Division's drop-off sites. The sites are located at 1501 W. Badger Rd., 4602 Sycamore Ave, and 402 South Point Rd. The sites are presently open from 8:30am to 4:30pm seven days a week and until 8:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These hours will remain in effect until 4:30pm on Sunday, December 2.

If you are a home composter, you can spice up your backyard compost bin with pumpkins, too. Pumpkins are a great source of nitrogen, and a good way to offset carbon from fallen leaves.

Residents can learn more about curbside yard waste collection on the Streets Division's yard waste website, www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste.

While visiting the site, residents can take the yard waste survey and use the Pickup Schedule map to learn if they should place their material out for pickup. Collection time estimates are available by calling our hotline at 608-267-2088, or the Streets Division offices. Residents west of S. Park Street should call the west side office at 608-266-4681, and residents east of S. Park Street, including the isthmus, you should call 608-246-4532.