WORCESTER, Mass. - It's an unofficial tradition this time of year in Central Massachusetts, as police departments across the area collected and destroyed unwanted firearms.

The gun buyback program, now called Guns to Gardens, is when residents can bring their guns to a local police department, who will then take them to be destroyed. The guns were crushed Saturday afternoon at City Welding on Worcester's Ararat Street. 

The firearms don't go to waste though. The pieces of metal from each gun are then used to create gardening tools. 

This year marks 21 years of the program. Worcester's Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsh says the hope is to make homes in Central Massachusetts safer.

"There are certain households where people make an assessment that they have an old, demented gun owner that no longer should have access, or a depressed teen, or an inquisitive toddler, or some angry spouse that may be involved in domestic violence," Hirsh said. The presence of a gun in the home raises the risk."

"Happy to do it," said Worcester resident Don Anderson, who dropped off a gun Saturday. "It's a small caliber rifle I'd had. I had gotten it when I was 14 years old. It was a long time ago. It just was around my house so I didn't need it anymore, and thought it was a great program Dr. Hirsh has got going here with the PD. So, thought I'd bring it on down and make it into something more useful."

Officials say since the inception of the program, more than 3,700 guns have been turned in to law enforcement officials in Central Massachusetts.