There are many fantastic ways to make use of pumpkins after Halloween, and letting them rot on your porch is not one of them.
AP News reported on the pumpkin problem: Over one billion pounds of the seasonal vegetable rot in U.S. landfills each year after Halloween, but as the news outlet also reported, there are multiple ways to avoid this scary ending.
Make use of your pumpkins by eating them, composting them, or even feeding them to animals.
@apnews If you're carving a jack-o'-lantern this Halloween, don't throw away the skin or innards — every part is edible and compostable. #climate #pumpkin #waste #compost #pumpkinpatch #muffins #baking #food ♬ original sound - The Associated Press
As this AP video explains, every part of a pumpkin is usable. Pumpkin guts can be made into muffins or other baked goods, and seeds can be roasted for a crunchy snack or added to salads or other meals.
Using recipes from chef Karleigh Bodrug, AP's Kiki Sideris makes pumpkin muffins and roasted seeds with the guts of her jack-o-lantern, and then she brings the carved pumpkin to a local farm to compost, explaining how you can do all of this in your own home.
An estimated 95% of pumpkins never get eaten, and the majority of these are sent to the landfill when the holiday is over. In a time when the cost of living is too high for most American families, and federal food benefits are facing major cuts, food waste at this scale is troubling.
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In addition to the unnecessary waste and economic cost of the discarded pumpkins, as they decompose in landfills, they release methane, which contributes significantly to rising global temperatures.
These wasteful practices aren't necessary at all, though, as the entire pumpkin is edible. Even if you don't want to eat it yourself, you can bring your pumpkin to a local farm to feed to livestock or compost. Some sites or organizations will even help you find a drop-off site near you, and some cities have organized food waste recovery programs to help prevent excess produce in the landfill.
Whether you cook or compost your pumpkins come November, reducing your individual waste can help save money and benefit our planet. Beyond making pies from pumpkin, reducing waste by donating clothes or recycling electronics can have major impacts on your wallet and the world.
Commenters were excited about the prospect of reusing their holiday waste. One YouTube commenter said, "I'm feeding it to my ducks," while a TikTok user said, "I always cook my pumpkins."
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