Date issued: 30 October 2024
As Halloween festivities creep their way into the city, Colchester City Council encourages residents to find creative uses for leftover pumpkins by cooking, composting, or replanting them.
Every October, around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin go to waste across the UK, despite pumpkins being an incredibly versatile food.
Once you’ve carved your spooky decoration, try using the leftover flesh to make seasonal pies, soups, hummus, or even smoothies. Toasted pumpkin seeds make a nutritious snack, and furry friends like hamsters can enjoy them raw. More recipes can be found here! You can also save seeds to plant your own pumpkins for next Halloween.
After Halloween, remove the candles and compost pumpkins or add them to your food waste caddy. If a whole pumpkin doesn’t fit, please place the whole pumpkin next to the caddy for collection day.
Food waste from Colchester is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it’s converted into fertiliser for crops and biogas for electricity generation. So, your pumpkin could help heat your home over winter, or power your Christmas lights!
Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhood Services and Leisure, said: “Halloween is a fantastic time of year, but it’s concerning to think of all those pumpkins being thrown away.
“Recycling our food waste is incredibly important - if you can’t compost them at home, we’re asking Colchester residents to recycle pumpkin leftovers by placing them in with their weekly food waste or, if they are too large, place the whole pumpkin next to their caddy, ready for collection.”
Residents that are preparing their gardens for winter can sign up to garden waste collections for a £35 joining fee and a reduced £27.50 service fee between 1 September and 31 December, which will cover collections until 31 March 2025.
Many will be managing leaf fall, mowing lawns during mild spells or pruning apple and pear trees once they are dormant. By signing up to our service we can help simplify garden maintenance by ensuring these tasks are managed effortlessly with regular, hassle-free waste collections. Find out more and opt-in here.
More information on recycling in Colchester is available here, and more tips on taking part in a sustainable Halloween can be found here.
As Halloween festivities creep their way into the city, Colchester City Council encourages residents to find creative uses for leftover pumpkins by cooking, composting, or replanting them.
Every October, around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin go to waste across the UK, despite pumpkins being an incredibly versatile food.
Once you’ve carved your spooky decoration, try using the leftover flesh to make seasonal pies, soups, hummus, or even smoothies. Toasted pumpkin seeds make a nutritious snack, and furry friends like hamsters can enjoy them raw. More recipes can be found here! You can also save seeds to plant your own pumpkins for next Halloween.
After Halloween, remove the candles and compost pumpkins or add them to your food waste caddy. If a whole pumpkin doesn’t fit, please place the whole pumpkin next to the caddy for collection day.
Food waste from Colchester is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it’s converted into fertiliser for crops and biogas for electricity generation. So, your pumpkin could help heat your home over winter, or power your Christmas lights!
Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhood Services and Leisure, said: “Halloween is a fantastic time of year, but it’s concerning to think of all those pumpkins being thrown away.
“Recycling our food waste is incredibly important - if you can’t compost them at home, we’re asking Colchester residents to recycle pumpkin leftovers by placing them in with their weekly food waste or, if they are too large, place the whole pumpkin next to their caddy, ready for collection.”
Residents that are preparing their gardens for winter can sign up to garden waste collections for a £35 joining fee and a reduced £27.50 service fee between 1 September and 31 December, which will cover collections until 31 March 2025.
Many will be managing leaf fall, mowing lawns during mild spells or pruning apple and pear trees once they are dormant. By signing up to our service we can help simplify garden maintenance by ensuring these tasks are managed effortlessly with regular, hassle-free waste collections. Find out more and opt-in here.
More information on recycling in Colchester is available here, and more tips on taking part in a sustainable Halloween can be found here.
Page last reviewed: 30 October 2024