Residents in southern Oxfordshire are being encouraged to make the most of their pumpkins this Halloween.
If they cannot be used for cooking or composting, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council is asking people to recycle their pumpkins as food waste.
Householders can either cut them up and put them in their food waste bins or simply leave them out whole next to their bins on the usual weekly collection day.
With the average pumpkin weighing 5kg, around 115 tonnes of pumpkins could be recycled if one in five southern Oxfordshire recycled theirs – equivalent in weight to eight large empty bin lorries.
Councillor Tony Harbour, Cabinet Member for waste and recycling at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Using their food waste bins, residents can recycle all cooked and uncooked food waste meaning that nothing needs to go to waste. Every pumpkin collected will be taken to our food waste processing plant to be turned into electricity and nutrient-rich fertiliser, making sure they’re put to good use after the trick or treating is done.
“This is also a good opportunity to remind everyone that they can now use plastic bags, as well as compostable bags or newspaper, to line their food caddy or bin – or, of course, simply put their food waste straight in.”
Councillor Charlotte Dickson, Cabinet Member for waste and recycling at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We’re obviously encouraging residents to use up their pumpkins if they can, either in the kitchen or in their own household composter. But if they’d prefer the option is there to recycle them simply by leaving them out with their bins or by putting them inside their food waste bin – it’s very easy to do, so we hope people will make the most of the service and ensure their pumpkins are put to good use.”
