DONATE IT As another alternative, pumpkins can be given to a local farm or zoo for the animals to enjoy, if donations are accepted. Some local animal sanctuaries will also accept pumpkins. Once you’ve found a place, you’ll want to call ahead or check the website to ensure the organization is accepting donations.
What happens to all the leftover pumpkins?
“Larger pumpkin growers,” said Mynatt, “usually return any unsold pumpkins back to the field and plow them in to add extra nutrients to the soil. People on farms that have livestock often feed them to cattle, sheep, goats, chickens and poultry.
What happens to Halloween pumpkins?
But even the lucky pumpkins that are taken home are mostly wasted too when the insides are thrown out, the seeds are discarded, and the remaining pumpkin carcass is trashed once the trick or treaters have come and gone.
What do you do with whole pumpkins after Halloween?
See if you can donate leftover pumpkins to zoos, animal shelters, farms, or community gardens. They’ll be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks. Look local; some towns do a pumpkin collection drive after Halloween, and some farms put out calls for local pumpkin donations.
How many pumpkins are wasted at Halloween?
The pumpkin waste amounts to about 18,000 tons of pumpkin, including flesh and seeds. The research was done by Hubbub and Knorr. Their joint research found that 40% of UK consumers buy pumpkins to carve, but 60% report they do not use the pumpkin after carving and instead throw it out.
How many pumpkins go to landfills?
But after Halloween comes the sometimes unpleasant task of disposing of old pumpkins. According to the US Department of Energy, most of the 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins produced in the U.S. end up in a landfill.
Why do farmers leave pumpkins in the field?
Realizing that there was probably a more practical reason I figured I should do some research to find out why a farm might leave what appears to be thousands of pumpkins out in a field to rot. Turns out there is a very simple reason, its because pumpkins make great fertilizers.
What happens to pumpkins in landfills?
“In a landfill, pumpkins and other organic materials are buried and rot without oxygen, which creates the potent greenhouse gas methane,” Enroth says. Instead, give gourds a second life by donating them to a zoo or wildlife rehab center or composting them, either personally or through a municipal drop-off program.
Should you throw your pumpkins in the woods?
One thing you can do with your old jack-o-lantern is actually nothing at all: just leave it someplace in your yard. Local wildlife, like birds and squirrels, will have a nice time chowing down on your old, carved pumpkin.
Why should you not throw away pumpkins?
Experts say that every year, hundreds of pumpkins end up in landfills; that might not seem like a big deal but it can actually be quite harmful. According to the World Economic Forum, pumpkins that decompose in landfills eventually emit methane gas, which is “more than 20 times the warming effect of carbon dioxide.”
Will squirrels eat pumpkins?
Pumpkins are not a squirrel’s favorite food. They eat them because instinct tells them they need to fatten up for the winter. If you give them tastier fare—say, peanuts, sunflower seeds, stale bread, crackers—they’ll have their fill without spilling pumpkin guts all over the yard.
What can I do with uncarved pumpkins?
You can recycle your pumpkin and turn it into a snack-p-lantern. Split open the pumpkins so the yummy and nutritious flesh is exposed, and place them around your yard. Cut off the top half of the carved pumpkin and turn it into a festive bird feeder. Many birds and other small animals will eat pumpkin seed.
Do zoos take pumpkins?
The Brookfield Zoo in Chicago gives pumpkins to “physically and mentally stimulate the animals” with items they don’t regularly see, the zoo shared in a news release. The practice can also support sustainability. Oakland Zoo uses donations of lumpy or unsold pumpkins from local pumpkin patches for the animals to enjoy.
Can I eat my Halloween pumpkin?
It’s easy to forget that Halloween pumpkins are edible. Especially after you’ve carved and field-dressed them, having scraped out their innards and cut faces into them so they become jack-o’-lanterns.
Do rotting pumpkins release methane?
The issue with throwing away pumpkins, according to Jo Cosgrove, an ecological and horticultural restoration consultant with Trees.com, is that as they decompose, they emit methane. This greenhouse gas, she said, is 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide and has a far more significant impact on global warming.
Are jack-o-lanterns wasteful?
It seems that jack-o-lanterns comprise their own special group of Halloween food waste. Beyond the sheer wastefulness of it, the agency warns that, once they’ve decomposed, these edible crops release methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
How fast do pumpkins decompose?
Let pumpkin decompose in compost pile.
It will take about 8-12 weeks for the pumpkin pieces to completely break down.
How many pumpkins get thrown away?
Over 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are thrown away every year, and just one pumpkin can take over 20 years to decompose in a landfill environment.
What do you do with pumpkins after Thanksgiving?
8 Ways to Reuse/Recycle Pumpkins After Halloween
- Compost your pumpkin. Pumpkins are 90 percent water, meaning they break down quickly.
- Make a pumpkin planter.
- Make a pumpkin feeder.
- Leave pumpkin seeds for wildlife.
- Plant pumpkin seeds.
- Cut into pieces for wildlife.
- Roast pumpkin seeds.
- Make pumpkin serving bowls.
How do I keep weeds off my pumpkin patch?
Black plastic mulch or a 2-4-inch layer of organic material will keep weed seeds from germinating. After weeds have sprouted, regain control by pulling, tilling or hoeing. A scuffle, or action hoe, works well where mulch is thin before the pumpkins begin to vine.
Can you leave pumpkin out for wildlife?
“Squirrels, foxes, badgers and birds all enjoy them, so people could leave chopped up pumpkin outside in dishes for wild animals to eat if they choose. Wildlife can struggle to find food this time of year so some chunks of tasty pumpkin could be very welcome.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.