How to tackle Halloween's spooky pumpkin waste
Written by Willshee’s Waste and Recycling
- Across the UK 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkin will end up in the bin this year.
- Pumpkin waste sent to landfill decomposes and produces methane which is over 25 times more harmful to the Earth’s atmosphere than carbon dioxide
- Willshee’s has teamed up with the amazing Isabel’s restaurant to encourage the local community to get creative and reduce avoidable pumpkin waste
Halloween is upon us and leading waste management and recycling business, Willshee’s has teamed up with Burton’s iconic restaurant, Isabel’s to educate the local community on the issues around their spooky food waste.
Pumpkins galore
As you walk around town this spooky season, many households will have at least one carved pumpkin proudly displayed. It’s no surprise that, of the 10m pumpkins grown in the UK every year, a whopping 95 per cent of them are sold just for Halloween carving.
While we may be dazzled by the incredible carving skills on display, there is a dark side looming after the party finishes.
It’s predicted that a scary 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkin will end up in the bin this year – the same weight as 1,500 double decker buses, 9,000 SUVs or 3,000 African elephants. You could even fill 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools with the pumpkin flesh.
Where do they all end up?
Despite making great decorations, when pumpkin waste is sent to landfill it decomposes and produces methane - an extremely harmful greenhouse gas. As it’s over 25 times more harmful to the Earth’s atmosphere than carbon dioxide, methane is a key contributor to climate change. As a result, reducing it must remain a key priority.
Willshee’s and Isabel’s partner to reduce waste
Leading Burton restaurant, Isabel’s, is committed to reusing as much produce as possible and ensuing its unavoidable waste is recycled by Willshee’s at a local anaerobic digestion plant.
This Halloween, the two local businesses are challenging the local community to show off the wonderful ways that they are cutting pumpkin waste.
The social media competition runs until 23:59 on 3 November and encourages residents to share the creative methods used to reduce the amount of pumpkin waste being thrown away – anything from homemade pumpkin bread and smoothies to body scrubs or bird feeders.
Willshee’s food waste experts, Dean Willshee, Jenna Willshee and Malcolm Lawson, will join the Isabel’s team to select their favourite, who will win a £50 voucher to spend at the restaurant.
Dean Willshee, managing director at Willshee’s, said: “As a business that is passionate about protecting the environment, we understand the importance of reducing waste and ensuring unavoidable food waste is recycled.
“We’re proud to manage Isabel’s food waste, diverting it from landfill into energy and fertiliser for local agriculture businesses. And we hope by partnering with them we can help educate the local area on Halloween waste and how households can make simple changes that have a positive impact.”
Top tips from the Willshee’s team on reducing Halloween waste:
- When you’re scooping out the pumpkin flesh, don’t simply throw it in the bin. You can use it to make delicious soups, pies or pasta sauce. The BBC has plenty of recipes to help inspire you.
- Again, when you’re carving, remove and roast the pumpkin seeds to create a superfood snack which can be added to muesli or smoothies for a vitamin and mineral boost. You can find some exciting ideas here.
- After Halloween, you can smash your pumpkin into little chunks – a great activity for kids – and add them to your garden compost bin. The smaller the pieces the quicker they will decompose.
- If you have a food waste collection in your area, pop it in your food waste caddy. It will then be used to generate energy and fertiliser for agriculture.
Click here to find out more about Willshee’s responsible food waste management service.