Don’t Throw That Away!

3 Eco Friendly Ways to Dispose of Fall Pumpkins

I know I’ve talked about it before… disposing of food waste into a landfill creates methane gas. There is a long scientific explanation, but basically food waste in a landfill is more tightly compacted, which doesn’t allow food to decompose the same way it would in your backyard compost pile (using OXYGEN). Eventually methane producing bacteria take over decomposition. According to this article by Scientific American, methane gas is 23 times as potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide!

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So what is a Halloween reveler to do when those Jack O’Lanterns must make way for other holiday decorations?

Here are my 3 favorite ways to make your pumpkins demise a little more eco friendly.

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1. Compost it – after you have removed all the seeds, simply add it to your compost pile.
2. Bury it – this is my favorite! Don’t have a compost pile? Dig a hole in your garden and let it decompose. This will enrich your soil and be a great benefit to your other plants. For an added bonus keep the seeds in and see if they will sprout come spring! (Make sure you plan ahead for the amount of room pumpkin vines will need). As an added benefit you’ll attract pollinators to your garden.
3. Feed to the animals – backyard chickens would love to have a pumpkin snack! You can also cut them into smaller pieces and leave them away from your house for the local wildlife to consume. Don’t forget that birds would love the seeds!

You can also check around there might be someplace that would love to accept your gently used pumpkins for their pigs, chickens or even local zoos and wildlife parks.