Think Green This Halloween

‘Think green this Halloween’ is the message from South Bucks District Council who want to remind residents to compost their pumpkins and recycle all the glass, plastic bottles and cans arising from spooky festivities.

Every year in the UK over one million pumpkins are sold, and a large number end up as waste after being carved to create scary lanterns and in some cases the pumpkin will end up in landfill after the Halloween celebrations are over. In landfill they will decompose creating methane, a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.

This Halloween the Council is reminding residents to make the most of their pumpkins instead of just throwing them away. The insides of the pumpkins can be used for a number of tasty recipes such as pumpkin tart, roast pumpkin lasagne and pumpkin soup.

Every year 6.7 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK, which is a huge waste of resources and money, as well as being a contributor to climate change. For recipe ideas of what to do with your leftovers visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/Buckinghamshire. (Opens new window to love food hate waste website)

After use, pumpkin lanterns will make a great addition to a compost bin, where they will break down naturally and help produce free, nutrient –rich compost for use in gardens; it may even help you grow another pumpkin for next year.

Halloween is also a time when many people like to throw parties. This can generate a lot of additional waste with drinks bottles, costumes and all of those Halloween decorations. During what can be an expensive time of year thinking green could help you save a few pennies. Try creating a unique Halloween costume out of old clothes or recycled textiles from a charity shop. Instead of buying decorations, why not make your own, which can then be recycled when you’ve finished them? And remember to recycle all those drinks bottles after your spooky party!

South Bucks District Councillor, Bill Lidgate, Portfolio Holder for the Environment, says, ‘Please remember to recycle your waste after Halloween. By minimising food waste, composting leftovers and recycling bottles and cans from Halloween parties South Bucks residents can help to divert a significant amount of waste from landfill. South Bucks residents can recycle paper, card, glass and cans using their recycling boxes at home and mini recycling centres in flats. Plastic bottles can be taken to any of our recycling sites in the district, and a wide range of materials can be taken to our Household Waste Recycling Centres”.