To help cut down on seasonal waste re3 residents are allowed to bring their pumpkin waste to be recycled at the Recycling Centres

Pumpkin waste is one of the ‘scariest parts’ of Halloween and it’s predicted that more than eight million pumpkins are likely to be binned across UK – the equivalent of more than 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkin flesh and enough to make 360 million portions of pumpkin pie.

Despite pumpkin being a delicious and versatile ingredient, many of us perceive pumpkin purely as Halloween decoration, forgetting that pumpkin is perfectly edible.

To cut down on waste, re3 highly recommends using pumpkin flesh to cook a variety of delicacies including: pumpkin pie, risotto, soup or even pumpkin-flavoured, spiced mulled wine. Pumpkin seeds can be boiled in salted water, drained and spread on a baking sheet to be cooked in the oven, making a tasty snack.

When Halloween is over and your lantern is starting to wilt, re3 provides below advice on what to do with pumpkin waste:

1. Compost it: Chop it up and add pumpkin to your own compost bin.
2. Recycle at home: If you are living in Wokingham Borough or are part of Early Adopters for food waste collection scheme in Reading Borough, chop your pumpkin and place it into your food caddy. If your pumpkin is too large, place it next to your outdoor food waste bin on the day of collections.
3. Recycle at the re3 Recycling Centres: re3 wishes to support residents in their efforts to reduce seasonal waste. If you are visiting Recycling Centres (Longshot Lane, Bracknell or Smallmead, Reading) during the first weeks following Halloween, you can bring your pumpkin waste alongside other household waste to the Recycling Centre and place it in the designated bins. Pumpkins disposed of this way will be recycled with other food waste and turned into bio-fertiliser and energy. Designated bins will be displayed at the Recycling Centres between 1^st November and 15^th November 2020 and can be used only for pumpkin waste (no other food waste will be accepted).