Greener Pumpkins!

Last year, we (in the UK) purchased almost 40 million pumpkins for Halloween.

Most were simply carved, then thrown away, wasting around 18,000 tonnes of food, along with all the resources and energy required to grow, transport and store the fruit, and generating methane when sent to landfill.

As we care about our planet, we aim to reduce waste where we can, but we can still have fun … here are a few tips for ‘greener pumpkins’:

• Buy locally grown fruit to reduce the energy require to transport and store them.
• Scoop out as much of the flesh as possible before carving, then cook and eat it, (including the stringy bits). Pumpkin has a mild flavour, so it’s very versatile and can be used for both savoury and sweet dishes – browse the internet for recipes.
• Wash, season, roast and eat the seeds – they’re delicious and nutritious.
• After use, hang up your pumpkin for birds, mammals and invertebrates to enjoy
  (n.b. Please put it where hedgehogs can’t gain access, as it makes them ill.)
• Once the wildlife has had enough, put the remaining rind in your compost bin, where all the nutrients will be recycled.