Council asks residents for help cutting down on the scary amount of waste produced at Halloween

Around half of Halloween pumpkins go uneaten, according to the environmental charity Hubbub, which has been running its ‘Eat Your Pumpkin’ campaign since 2014 – that’s enough pumpkins to provide 95 million meals. As well as wasting food, this also wastes the energy used to grow, harvest and transport it.  

To help reduce unnecessary waste, the Council is asking people to consider making small changes to their Halloween celebrations this year to ease the pressure on the planet. For example, by not buying a pumpkin just as a decoration but as an ingredient for a meal too.  

Costumes are another source of Halloween waste with Hubbub estimating that 7 million of them are thrown away every year and two in five are worn once before being binned. Buying second-hand instead of new and donating old costumes are excellent ways to reduce this waste and all Gloucestershire Libraries are running their popular Halloween costume swaps again this year. People can swap an old costume for a new one at any library up until 1 November. 

Councillor Mike Evemy, portfolio holder for waste and recycling at Cotswold District Council said: “Halloween is a fun celebration which lights up our dark neighbourhoods with spooky lanterns and creative, ghoulish displays. Pumpkins are a big part of the appeal, especially for children, but we’re encouraging people to think of pumpkins as the food they are rather than just a decorative item. Valuable soil nutrients and energy are needed to grow this crop just like any other, so let’s make the most of them.  

“If everyone ate their pumpkins and composted leftovers at home or, as a last resort, recycled them using the Council’s weekly kerbside food waste service, we’d prevent many tonnes of edible food from being wasted in the district this Halloween. Passing on Halloween costumes that are no longer wanted is another effective way to reduce waste. But if you have a costume that you can’t get rid of, please recycle it rather than putting it in the bin.” 

Pumpkin is a highly nutritious food containing vitamins A, E, and C, omega-3s, zinc, selenium, iron, magnesium and beta-carotene. Those specifically grown to be carved can still be eaten but a smaller variety will be fleshier, more nutritious and tastier too. Pumpkin is as versatile as any of the squashes people are more used to eating, such as butternut squash, and can be used in all sorts of recipes, from cakes and soups to wedges and risotto. 

If preparing a dish is too much on the day, another way to enjoy having pumpkins as decorations is by going for a no-carve option and decorating them using pens, stickers and other accessories instead. The pumpkin can then be brought inside afterwards and will stay fresh until ready to cook with for months if stored in a cool place.   

Cotswold District Council collects clothing and textiles as part its kerbside recycling service. Textiles need to be presented in a tied carrier bag and placed inside either recycling box with the lid on.  

To compost food at home, Cotswold residents can receive a £15 discount off any compost bin purchased from the website: https://getcomposting.com. The discount will be applied automatically at the checkout when ordering to a Gloucestershire address.