Decorated pumpkins could reduce horrifying Halloween food waste

According to environmental charity Hubbub, last year over 12 million pumpkins went uneaten in the UK – a figure equating to around 14,000 tonnes of food – enough to provide a nutritious meal for every person in the UK. 

Yet using removable decorations can help keep pumpkins in tip top condition so they last much longer, allowing them to be eaten once the celebrations are well and truly over.   

Councillor Andy Moore, portfolio holder for waste and recycling at Forest of Dean District Council, said: “Even when left outside in the cold, once carved pumpkins rot down quickly, making them inedible in just a few days. One simple way to keep them fresher for longer is to decorate them instead.  

“With whole pumpkins able to be stored successfully for many months, choosing the no-carve option allows them to be cooked and enjoyed at a more convenient time while still providing an attractive spooky centrepiece to decorative displays.” 

“Recent analysis of the black bin waste shows that a quarter of the rubbish we collect from homes, based on weight is food, 95 per cent of which could have been eaten or saved. Not only that, but over half of all the food thrown out was still in its packaging. Wasting food not only impacts people’s pockets but, with food production massively contributing to global carbon emissions, costs our environment.” 

“While ultimately it comes down to personal choice, and many may still opt for a traditional carved Jack O’lantern, the message is to eat, not waste, at Halloween.” 

Pumpkins can be transformed into a spooky adornment using edible paints, wrapped in old strips of fabric or decorated with cutouts made from leftover paper and cardboard using a simple mix of icing sugar and water to make a quick and safe adhesive or of which are easily removable once the celebrations are over. 

The District Council is keen to remind residents that every part of the pumpkin, bar the stalk, is edible. Pumpkins can be roasted easily, turned into a winter-warming soup, added to risottos, curries and pasta dishes, or used as a sweet ingredient in desserts or cakes. 

Food remains the most prevalent item in Forest of Dean refuse bins accounting for around 25 per cent of all household rubbish by weight – a trend which is reflected across Gloucestershire, even though all six of the county’s local authorities offer a weekly food waste collection service.  

Research suggests that 4.7 million tonnes of edible food and drink is wasted from UK homes every year, worth around £17 billion. This edible element creates approximately 18 million tonnes of CO2e – the equivalent of everyone in the UK flying to Frankfurt and back. 

Residents who do not eat their pumpkin are urged to consider home composting it or to recycle it using their kerbside food waste caddy. Food that is recycled will be treated using anaerobic digestion, a process which creates a biogas to generate energy as well as a nutrient-rich fertiliser to spread back on the land.   

For pumpkin decorating ideas, visit: https://hubbub.org.uk/10-no-carve-ideas-to-decorate-your-pumpkin  

Food waste caddies can be ordered online: www.fdean.gov.uk/orderabin  

For ideas on how to cook pumpkins: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/good-food-habits/halloween-make-most-your-pumpkin