HOUSTON (KIAH) — If you and your kids did your carving more than a week ago, the first of November likely couldn’t come fast enough.

Jack-o’-lanterns growing mold and turning into mush is a holiday tradition in many households.

But that decomposition is exactly what the City of Houston is trying to accomplish — along with other benefits — by hosting its third annual pumpkin composting event.

From November 1-8, you can drop off carved and non-carved pumpkins at the Reuse Warehouse at 9003 North Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The pumpkins will be thrown in with other food waste in their compost pile, and eventually that material will decompose and create fertile soil that can be used in gardens and other places.

The added benefit for the city is less food waste being dumped into landfills helping to extend the useful lives of those facilities.

We’re hoping to grow the pounds (of pumpkins) we collect and just really build the tradition in the department in so that hopefully everyone can understand how to properly dispose of those pumpkins so that we’re not putting it all into the landfill.

Houston Solid Waste Management Deputy Director of Administration Veronica Lizama