Union County Opens Five Pumpkin Recycling Drop-Off Sites
New Jersey residents can recycle Halloween pumpkins at five Union County locations through November 30, 2026, with collected material processed to support renewable energy production.
MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): Union County, New Jersey, has launched its annual pumpkin recycling program, offering residents five collection locations to keep discarded Halloween pumpkins out of the municipal waste stream.
Organized by the Union County Board of County Commissioners and the Bureau of Recycling and Planning, the program runs from November 2 through November 30, 2026.
The initiative follows a successful 2025 campaign that recovered nearly 10 tons of pumpkins for processing into renewable energy.
Five Pumpkin Recycling Drop-Off Locations
Residents from any Union County municipality may use any of the participating locations, regardless of where they live.
Elizabeth — 523 Trenton Avenue
Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Kenilworth — 401 Sheridan Avenue
Fridays: 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Second Saturday of the month: 7:30 a.m.–noon
Plainfield — 95 Rock Avenue
Monday–Friday: 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
Drop-off closes at 2:45 p.m.
Union Township — 1 Swanstrom Place East
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Westfield — 1300 Lamberts Mill Road
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Accepted materials: Pumpkins only. Residents must remove candles, decorations and other non-organic materials before drop-off. Other food scraps and household waste are not accepted.
Collected Pumpkins Will Support Biogas Production
Collected pumpkins will be transported to Waste Management's CORe facility in Elizabeth, where food waste is converted into an organic slurry.
The processed material supports biogas production and other renewable applications at nearby wastewater treatment facilities.
Union County says the program provides an alternative to traditional disposal while supporting the recovery of energy from discarded organic materials.
RecyclingMonster Industry Edge
Food Waste as an Energy Resource: Union County's program demonstrates how seasonal organic waste collections can feed existing energy-recovery infrastructure. The significant operational advantage is connecting a targeted collection program with an established processing facility rather than requiring a separate treatment system for seasonal waste.
