The Solid Waste Advisory Committee will host its second annual Great Pumpkin Toss on Sunday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event will take place at the unpaved section of the Philips Park parking lot, where residents can take their best shot at tossing their pumpkins toward a target on a Department of Public Works dump truck.

Every year, an estimated 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins get tossed in the trash across the U.S. after Halloween. When pumpkins end up in landfills, they decompose without oxygen and produce methane, a greenhouse gas.

But this fall, Swampscott residents can squash waste instead of contributing to it. By composting their jack-o’-lanterns, they’ll help turn Halloween leftovers into the potential for nutrient-rich soil.

All pumpkins collected in Swampscott will be composted at Brick Ends Farm in Hamilton, giving them a second life.

Participants are asked to bring pumpkins free of decorations, paint and candles.