What to Do with Leftover Pumpkins
What are your plans for your pumpkins after Halloween? Don’t throw them away! I’ve got some suggestions for you that will benefit the environment, animals and humans, all while having some fun.
Pumpkins are a massive crop taking up a lot of land and producing billions of pounds each year, but many of these pumpkins are thrown away. As much as 80% of purchased pumpkins end up in landfills. It’s a major food waste and can poorly affect the environment with production of harmful greenhouse gasses. In the season of everything pumpkin, read on for ways to repurpose and dispose of your pumpkin surplus in environmentally friendly ways. Your uncarved, unpainted pumpkins have lots of possibilities!
Eat it!
Roast the seeds
Use in recipes. There are loads of pumpkin recipes out there!
Make vegetable stock for recipes
Make pumpkin pie leather as a treat by dehydrating
Make pumpkin puree for use in recipes. Freeze some for future use.
Our Forest Homeschool students show off their treat-filled jack-o’-lanterns for animal enrichment.
Compost it!
In a landfill under tons of garbage, pumpkins break down without oxygen (anaerobically). If plants and vegetables break down with oxygen, they make compost in a way that is safe for people and the planet. If they break down without oxygen, the bacteria that decompose the pumpkins are different - as they consume the pumpkin, they make the greenhouse gas methane so…
Have a smash party to break pumpkins into small pieces. Pumpkins are organic waste providing great nutrients for the soil. Don’t trash it, smash it!
Beauty with it!
Make a facial mask with pumpkin puree, honey and milk. Pumpkins are packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A & C, which are well known for glowing skin and hair. Creating face serums or hair masks are clever ways to repurpose pumpkins.
Redecorate with it!
Keep pumpkins for fall and Thanksgiving decor - porchscapes, tablescapes
Pumpkins at Christmas? There are numerous ways you can turn your pumpkin into Christmas decorations by wrapping them in festive holiday fabrics or breaking out the eco-friendly paints. How about an adorable snowman or festive ornaments?
Repurpose it!
Charlie the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) explores a pumpkin filled with tasty snacks.
Pumpkin bowling anyone? Use pumpkins as the bowling balls and full water bottles as the pins! After the game is over, compost the pumpkin and recycle the water bottles!
Use it as an ice bucket for a party
Use it as a bird feeder - cut off the top or a quarter of the top, hollow it (be sure to environmentally dispose of the guts from other ideas on this list) and fill with bird seed. Compost it when it degrades.
Use it as a planter - plant a perennial plant in it. When the pumpkin degrades, plant the whole thing in the ground.
Feed it!
Wildlife love pumpkins! Break the pumpkin into smaller pieces and place in the woods way off the road.
Make dog treats with pumpkin puree
Chickens love pumpkin - break into pieces and watch the fun
Donate to farms as feed for various livestock
Do not use painted pumpkins as feed unless you are certain the paint is non-toxic. Carved pumpkins should be composted. Once they begin to degrade, they are not fit for consumption - turn that orange goo into black gold. And don’t put bleach in your carved pumpkins to keep them longer - bleach is lethal to the wildlife who may take a bite of that pumpkin while it’s on your porch. Don’t treat carved pumpkins with anything - let nature do its work without interference.
As we enter the holiday season, be mindful of your consumption and consider how your actions impact the health of our Earth. Utilize your power of choice, give thanks to the farmers who grow the pumpkins and honor our planet by disposing of your pumpkins in ways that preserve the health of our environment.
