While many households will enjoy carving up spooky pumpkins to decorate windows this Halloween, the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s waste management team is urging people to give some thought to what they do with their pumpkins beyond 31 October.
Around 20,000 homes in the Vale now have a weekly kitchen waste recycling collection at their kerbside and those involved in the scheme can simply pop their carved pumpkin into their kerbside caddy.
Those who are not yet on the scheme can consider home composting, adding their pumpkin to their compost bin or heap, or if you don’t have this option you can also bury your old pumpkin in your garden – it will decay quickly and enrich the soil, allowing you to fork it through next spring before planting.
When it comes to pumpkin seeds there are plenty of options too. After washing them, you could plant a few to begin cultivating next year’s crop. You can also roast or dry fry seeds until toasted as they make a delicious, healthy snack.
Pumpkins are packed with vitamin A and C and contain potassium; they are low in calories, fat and sodium and high in fibre. The flesh can be made into soups, delicious pies and autumn breads.
Vale of Glamorgan Council waste awareness officer, Vicky Lannen, said: “We must all think about our food before we buy it. We must consider packaging, use by/best before dates and what we are wasting and why. Storage, menu planning and clever recipes must be at the forefront of our minds to limit waste and encourage recycling.”
For more information on what you can do to reduce more email [email protected] or telephone 01446 700111.
