Each year, over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins end up in U.S. landfills after Halloween, according to the Department of Energy. This waste contributes to methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.
Experts suggest several ways to reduce pumpkin waste. Chef Carleigh Bodrug recommends using all parts of the pumpkin for cooking. “The seeds are a nutritional gold mine,” Bodrug said. She suggests roasting them with cinnamon as a snack or salad topping and using the stringy insides for baking by making a pumpkin puree suitable for muffins. While carving pumpkins have milder flavors and stringier flesh than those used in canned purees, they can still be used if extra seasoning is added.
Bodrug also notes that leftover pumpkin flesh can be cubed for soups and stews or pureed for dogs’ meals. Pumpkin chunks can be frozen for later use. However, only pumpkins that haven’t been painted or left outside for extended periods should be eaten or donated to farms as animal feed.
For pumpkins no longer fit for consumption, composting is recommended as an alternative to landfill disposal. Dante Sclafani, compost coordinator at Queens County Farm in New York, explained: “A large percentage of what ends up going to the landfill is stuff that could have been composted. So even just cutting down something like pumpkins could really help curb how many garbage bags you’re putting out every week.”
Before composting, any non-organic materials such as candles or plastic decorations should be removed from the pumpkin. Chopping it into smaller pieces helps speed up decomposition. Sclafani advises maintaining a balance between wet “greens” like food scraps and dry “browns” such as leaves or cardboard in a roughly three-to-one ratio to prevent odors and promote faster breakdown.
Even pumpkins that have become mushy or moldy are suitable for composting because fungus aids decomposition. Laura Graney, education director at Queens County Farm, emphasized the educational value: “Composting anything organic is better than throwing it out because you’re not creating more refuse in landfills, you’re not creating methane gas.” She added that teaching children about composting during autumn helps them feel empowered about environmental issues: “Even though they’re little, composting helps them feel like they can make a difference… They take that message home to their families, and that’s how we spread the word.”
By following these suggestions—cooking with pumpkin leftovers, donating edible portions to farms, and composting—the environmental impact of Halloween pumpkin waste can be reduced.
