On Halloween night, millions of carved pumpkins were perched on US porches to greet trick-or-treaters. Now, though, those gap-toothed grins will slowly slide into squishy sneers as they begin to rot. For most jack-o'-lanterns, that means a trip to the local dump. Could there be a better fate, though? “A large percentage of what ends up going to the landfill is stuff that could have been composted,” Dante Sclafani told The Associated Press (AP). He is the compost coordinator at Queens County Farm in New York. “So even just cutting down something like pumpkins could really help curb how many garbage bags you’re putting out every week.” The US Department of Energy estimates that more than a billion pounds of pumpkin are left to rot in landfills after Halloween each year. The AP asked experts about other ways to handle the waste. Here are a few ideas: Compost: Chop up the pumpkin into inch-wide squares, then put in a compost pile. If you don’t have one at home, look for community-based gardens that might take them. As the pumpkins break down, they’ll produce nutrient-rich soil. Donate to a farm: Pumpkins make excellent feed for pigs and chickens. That's true even for rotting ones. Farms may also be able to compost the remains. Cook: All parts of a pumpkin are edible if prepared correctly, chefs say. The flesh can be cubed and put into soups and stews. It can also be frozen for later use. The stringy insides, once cleared of seeds, makes a great muffin ingredient once they have been pureed. But don’t forget the seasonings, like cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. And speaking of those seeds? They’re a “nutritional gold mine,” chef Carleigh Bodrug told the AP. She recommends rinsing and roasting the seeds. Then they can be used to top a salad. Reflect: What’s something you usually throw away that could actually be reused or given a new purpose instead? Gif of pumpkins from GIPHY.
