The most gruesome thing about Halloween might be the sight of carved pumpkins slowly growing mould and disintegrating into sludge on doorsteps throughout November - but we may be spared that this year if Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service (GCSWS) is successful in their mission to rescue pumpkins and recycle them instead.
It’s estimated that in the UK 30 million pumpkins will be carved this year, with over half of them destined to end up in black bins headed for landfill.
Lead Cabinet Member for Environment at South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan said “We’re determined to change the fate of Halloween pumpkins as landfill really is a horror story for them – they become the ultimate villains and release climate-damaging methane gas. By recycling them with food waste we can turn them into heroes – capturing that gas and using it as renewable energy and making bio fertiliser to grow more crops.”
While GCSWS is encouraging residents to eat their pumpkins where possible – sharing recipes for soup, curry, risotto and more – the service is gearing up to collect as many as possible in, or alongside, Food Waste Caddies.
Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Environment at Cambridge City Council, Cllr Rosy Moore said “The best place for pumpkin is in your next meal, but the next best place is in your compost heap or Food Waste Caddy. We recognise that there may not be space if your caddy is already full, so for the first time we are allowing households to place their pumpkin in a regular-sized carrier bag and leave it next to their Caddy for collection. This service will apply for one week only for households in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire that have weekly food waste collections, for collections between the 3rd to the 6th of November.”
Only one bag can be placed out per household, and excessively large or heavy pumpkins will not be collected.
Weekly food waste collections have not yet started for every household in Cambridge or South Cambridgeshire, so pumpkins will also be accepted in green wheelie bins where this applies, ending up as compost. And if you’re thinking about leaving your pumpkin in your garden or a woodland for wildlife to enjoy – think again. Wildlife charities say pumpkins aren’t natural food for native wildlife, and can cause harm. Best to recycle it.
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