Warwickshire residents encouraged to take a ‘greener approach’ with their pumpkins this year

Warwickshire residents are being encouraged to take a ‘greener approach’ with their pumpkins this year.

Every year 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin is thrown away at Halloween and Warwickshire County Council has issues some advice on what to with your pumpkins.

Here’s what the council has suggested:

• Use the pumpkin for recipes such as soup, crisps, cakes and curries
• Use the carved out pumpkin as a temporary caddy to collect food scraps ready for home composting or the food waste doorstep collection.
• Compost the pumpkin (that has no glitter or paint) at home by removing any candles and wax, break down into smaller pieces and cover them with a layer of soil.
• Alternatively, carve a vegetable you are more likely to eat, such as a butternut squash or turnip.

The council also advises against buying a plastic pumpkin, as they do not biodegrade or compost.

Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for environment, climate and culture, 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 choosing 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.”