{"id":13620,"date":"2011-10-18T12:37:25","date_gmt":"2011-10-18T18:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=13620"},"modified":"2011-10-18T12:37:25","modified_gmt":"2011-10-18T18:37:25","slug":"pumpkin-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/pumpkin-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"The Carving is Done… but What Do You Do with the Pumpkin Waste?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

So, the carving is done and you find yourself left with a bunch of sad looking pumpkins just begging you not to trash\u00a0them?\u00a0 You\u2019re not the only one.\u00a0 Turns out that we go through approximately 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins every year<\/strong> in the U.S., the majority of these being sold right around now when the Halloween craze starts to hit.\u00a0 But, what happens to all those pounds of pumpkins?\u00a0 Unfortunately, the majority of them go straight from ghoulish window d\u00e9cor to undetermined “trash” that will fill the nearest landfill where they will eventually contribute to methane\u00a0levels that are already too high .\u00a0 If that doesn\u2019t sound right for your family, here are some alternative ideas for giving that jack o\u2019 lantern a second use and how to bid it a suitable and proper farewell.<\/p>\n

Upcycle It to Food<\/h3>\n

Creating food with your pumpkin is probably the most obvious manner of stretching out that pumpkins life and use.\u00a0 Scoop out the \u201cguts\u201d of the pumpkin and create any number of delicious, scrumptious fall treats like pumpkin butter, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pie (of course!) and even pumpkin milk.\u00a0 The seeds themselves are fantastic when roasted plain, or if you want to get really creative, try some sweet and tantalizing pumpkin seed brittle<\/a> from Epicurious.<\/p>\n

Feed the Birds<\/h3>\n

Yes, literally.\u00a0 Zoologists have confirmed that feeding pumpkins to birds is safe.\u00a0 There are also many zoos which accept pumpkin donations and then feed them to their animals as local, seasonal treats (green, sustainable, organic zoo food!).\u00a0 If you\u2019re in the St. Louis area, your zoo is a definite go.\u00a0 Your zoo might even offer a chance to take your kids in and watch\u00a0 (and since lions are on the top of the list for loving pumpkin, I imagine this could be quite a show).<\/p>\n

Treat Your Skin<\/h3>\n

Pumpkin is full of rich vitamins, enzymes and even essential amino acids, all of which can benefit your skin.\u00a0 They also boast alpha-hydroxy acids that are known to decrease the appearance of wrinkles.\u00a0 So if you\u2019re in the mood for a homemade face treatment, a basic pumpkin puree is a wonderful place to start.\u00a0 Leave on for approximately 10 minutes and use as a gentle exfoliator when rinsing off.\u00a0 For a softer, gentler version, add in some honey and a little bit of cream or milk.\u00a0 For extra exfoliation, mix in cream and brown sugar.<\/p>\n

Fill Your Home with Sweet Smells<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re craving Thanskgiving already just for the scrumptious smell of fresh pumpkin pie, then you might want to make your own pumpkin pie potpourri.\u00a0 If your pumpkin is already hollowed and carved, you\u2019re halfway there.\u00a0 If not, scoop it out clean and cut some small holes for venting.\u00a0\u00a0 Rub cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice on the interior and insert cloves into the lid.\u00a0 Place a small tea candle inside and just wait for the delicious scent of warm pumpkin pie to start wafting through your home.<\/p>\n

Final Goodbye<\/h3>\n

For a pumpkin\u2019s final resting place when all uses are exhausted, skip the garbage and break up your pumpkin to add to your own compost pile.\u00a0 It will turn itself into a wonderfully rich part of your soil ready to fertilize and delight your tender spring plants in a few months.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have your own compost bin, ask amongst your friends or check to see if your community has a recycling plan already in motion for pumpkins.\u00a0 (If they don\u2019t, maybe you can step up and start one?)\u00a0 Remember to remove all candles, paint, was and decorations before turning them over.<\/p>\n

Image Credit:<\/strong> iStockphoto.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Freelancer Tara Alley is dedicated to all things green & sustainable and is currently working alongside an online heating company, helping them promote their efficient heaters<\/a>\u00a0for the fall season.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Got pumpkin waste after carving… or after Halloween? Don’t toss it: you can put that old pumpkin to use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":13621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[1163,1817,19,5418,5419,5420,5421],"yoast_head":"\nPumpkin Waste: 5 Things You Can Do With It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lots of things you can do with the jack-o-lantern wastes, from the pumpkin guts to the after-Halloween carved shell.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/pumpkin-waste\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pumpkin Waste: 5 Things You Can Do With It\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lots of things you can do with 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