Now that Halloween is over, you might have a slightly soggy jack-o'-lantern sitting on your porch. And that's on top of that beautiful autumn foliage that may be starting to pile up.

Don’t throw it all away just yet — there’s a better way to get rid of your decomposing decorations. Check out these pro tips on what to do with your seasonal yard waste this time of year.

Pumpkins

Did you know that you can place carved or whole pumpkins in your gray yard waste cart? Learn more about local yard waste regulations and what you can dispose of in your gray cart.

Live Green Lexington is collecting unpainted pumpkins this Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m.-12 p.m at Stonewall Elementary.

Raw pumpkins can also be used as part of your compost. If you don't have a compost just yet, start here, Live Green Lexington also recommends bringing pumpkins to Compost KY as they’re collecting pumpkins for composting at farms statewide.

Speaking of compost, we're moving onto the brown matter... leaves.

Fall foliage

A yard full of leaves can double as free fertilizer or compost, but if you’re hoping to tidy up before the first snow, we’ve rounded up some helpful cleanup tips.

You can place leaves + other yard waste — such as sticks, branches, plant clippings, and grass — in your gray yard waste cart year-round.
Have more than can fit in the cart? Put them in a paper yard waste bag. Residents should have received coupons for their free paper yard waste bags via postcard + in the At Your Service newsletter. Here's where you can redeem them.
Do not put yard waste in plastic bags as it will be treated like trash.
Help your back, and your sanity, by using a free leaf chute provided by the city.
Don't freak out if you see your bags still around after cart pick-up — separate trucks might be divvying up the job.

Plan ahead: Yard waste will not be collected Thanksgiving week, according to the city's guidelines.