Don't Waste Your Jack'o'Lanterns - Pumpkin Uses, Recycling & Clean Disposal

It's the Spooky Season again, and one way to celebrate Halloween that can be enjoyed by young and old alike is pumpkin carving. In fact, whether you've carved a lantern, decorated your home with un-carved pumpkins or even gotten creative in the kitchen with some pumpkin dishes, the chances are that most of us have these gourds deflating around the place a few days after Halloween.

This year, it is estimated that more than 8 million pumpkins - equivalent to approximately 18,000 tonnes - will end up rotting in landfill. There are so many nutrients and good things to be had from pumpkins - now that you've got them, why not make the most of them?

Some brilliant uses for pumpkins:

•  The pulp can be used to make pumpkin puree, which can be added to things like porridge or yoghurt, or even made into pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie 
  
  
•  During the winter months, food is difficult to come by for birds, squirrels etc. Why not chop up the flesh and place the seeds in a bird feeder? Not only will it help them through the cold climate, but it's always lovely to watch.
  
  
•  You can add to a compost pile or bury the pieces to enrich your soil. Don't have a compost pile yet? This is your chance to start one!
  
  
•  If you plant the seeds in your garden, you might even have a crop of your own pumpkins to look forward to next year!

Don't want to deal with the pumpkins yourself? There are plenty of places that will take them off your hands: check whether your local zoos, animal shelters or community gardens are looking for pumpkin donations. They'll be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks. Some towns also do pumpkin collection drives after Halloween, such as Norwich Pumpkin Rescue.

At Baco-Compak, we specialise in a wide variety of waste management solutions, from skip hire, recycling and commercial waste too. Find out more about us today.

No matter what you're doing for Halloween, from all of us at Baco-Compak - have fun and stay safe!

(Image by www.mrbsphotography.co.uk, some rights reserved)