Pumpkins are far too good to be thrown away!
This Halloween, Warwickshire residents who are looking for ways to live more sustainably are being encouraged to take a different approach to pumpkins.
Every year in the UK, 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin are thrown away at Halloween, which is the equivalent of around 360 million portions of pumpkin pie. It’s a little-known fact that pumpkin is a healthy and versatile berry that can be used in lots of different recipes, including soups, crisps, cakes and curries. Here are some great ideas: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/pumpkin-recipes
So, for those planning to carve a pumpkin for Halloween, the advice is to hollow it out as much as possible to create a thin shell and keep the flesh and seeds for eating.
Once the pumpkin has done its job and scared away any bad spirits, then it can be used as a temporary caddy to collect food scraps ready for home composting or the local food waste doorstep collection.
Pumpkins can also be composted in the garden, to improve soil health and feed nutrients to your plants. If you don’t have a compost bin, then follow these ‘smashing’ instructions:
- Remove any candles and wax from the pumpkins and discard any pumpkin that has glitter or paint on it.
- Find a sunny patch in your garden and pick out a hammer, baseball bat or a strong stick.
- Be careful - make sure to use protective goggles and wear clothes that you don’t mind getting messy.
- Now just have fun and smash those pumpkins! Make sure children are supervised at all times.
- Once the pieces are broken down, spread them out and cover with a layer of soil.
Let nature do its thing – the pumpkin will rot down nicely and fertilise the soil.
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture, Councillor Darren Cheshire, said: “Carving pumpkins is a fun activity to do with the children this half-term, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to get them to think about what to do with the flesh and seeds of the pumpkin. Making sure you use every part of the pumpkin might feel like only a small step to living a more sustainable life, but it all counts. Together we can make a big difference to reducing food waste and minimising our impact on the wider environment.”
For more information on waste and recycling at Warwickshire County Council, including composting options, please visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/recycling
Warwickshire Recycles will be posting delicious pumpkin recipes on Facebook in the week leading up to Halloween and are using the hashtag #EatYourPumpkin:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/warwickshirerecycles
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/warwickshire_recycles/
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is helping to create a more sustainable future, visit: https://www.sustainablewarwickshire.co.uk/
Get the latest news about how Warwickshire is making changes to become more sustainable by subscribing to the Sustainable Warwickshire newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf