Nadine Brodeur swears there's nothing diabolical about her organization's post-Halloween plans to snag as many of the capital region's Halloween pumpkins as possible.

"We're not going for world domination," Brodeur says. "We just want your pumpkins to keep them out of the Hartland landfill."

When the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre, where Brodeur is executive director, launches its 5th annual pumpkin smash, more solemnly named "Proper Burial for Pumpkins," it will include pumpkin bowling for families and a pumpkin-smashing tent, complete with baseball bat.

Last year, Greater Victoria residents smashed 17 tonnes of pumpkins -- that's six large garbage truckloads. This year, organizers hope to collect 20 tonnes.

The centre estimates that as many as 730,000 kilograms of pumpkins go to the landfill every year. Brodeur says pumpkins get smothered when buried at the landfill, composting in an anaerobic state and releasing methane, which is more harmful to the environment. Organic materials composted with oxygen release carbon dioxide instead, Brodeur says.

On Saturday, you can head to Thrifty Foods stores at Cloverdale at 3475 Quadra St., or at 1590 Fairfield Rd., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Sunday, the events will be held the Thrifty Foods stores at 1495 Admirals Rd. and the Hillside Mall location at 1580 Hillside Ave. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Everyone can enter to win a Greencone composter.

jhatherly@tc.canwest.com