Do’s and Dont’s: Can Your Boise Jack-o’-Lantern Go in the Compost Cart?

Halloween is on a Saturday this year, which means a lot of carved pumpkins will be sitting on porches through the weekend and slowly turning into mush. I thought it might be helpful to clear up some confusion about whether you can dump your old pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns into your compost cart or if they need to go in the trash. The answer is yes, no, and both.

According to the City of Boise’s Curb It sorting guide, real pumpkins can go in your green-lidded compost cart, and carved ones are fine too. There are a couple of rules, though.

What Halloween Decorations Can Go in Boise’s Compost Cart

The city says real pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, corn stalks, and other natural seasonal decorations are all accepted. The catch is that they can’t be painted or changed beyond carving. It may go without saying, but you need to ditch any extras like string lights before they go in the cart. I’d scoop out any leftover candle wax too.

Read More: Boise & Treasure Valley Trunk-or-Treat Guide 2026 

What Has to Go in the Trash

Painted pumpkins don’t qualify for the compost cart. Neither do foam or plastic pumpkins. The city doesn’t accept plastic of any kind in the compost cart. Even if the product is labeled “compostable” or “biodegradable,” it doesn’t qualify. Basically, if it didn’t grow, it doesn’t go.

And this was news to me too, so I thought I’d pass it along. Boise’s compost program now takes meat, dairy, bones, and food cooked with oils like butter or olive oil. You can take the leftovers from your Halloween party and dispose of them as compost as well.

What If Your Boise Compost Cart Is Full?

Late October is also peak leaf season, so your cart might already be packed. The city will pick up as many as 10 paper leaf bags a week next to your cart. Just leave about three feet between the cart and the bags, since the truck uses the cart to lift them.

Composting Without a Cart in Boise

If you live in an apartment or don’t have a green cart, Boise runs a free Food Scrap Drop Off Program with neighborhood drop-off sites. You do have to register first.