The Halloween season is over, and many people still have their pumpkins outside.
As the pumpkins begin to start rotting or decaying, There are many options when it comes to getting rid of them completely.
“If it’s still 100% organic than you can certainly put it into the compost bin that we have in London, with the green bins that we now have.” says Fanshawe Garden Manager Cindy Buelow
Buelow also mentions a fact about decorating pumpkins, that not many London residents might know.
“If you’ve painted or have plastic doodads that you’ve added to your pumpkin, then that shouldn’t go in the garbage.”
“You can’t compost it at that point. It just contaminates the compost in your compost bin. The contaminants do affect how the compost breaks down.”
“Oftentimes the bacteria that feeds on the organic matter, they get affected by contaminants. If you have a lot of acrylic paints, it can be damaging for the organisms that are breaking down the compost. You want to avoid all of that and keep your pumpkin clean, essentially.”
London green bin Credit: City of London
Earlier this year, London introduced compost bins throughout the city and it has made throwing out vegetables like pumpkins easier according to Buelow.
“Our compost system here is quite advanced. We have locations where it’s taking the energy from the compost that’s breaking it down and using that as a biofuel. It’s just a matter of keeping the pumpkins and anything that you put into that compost free of debris that’s not organic.”
“If we do our part then, it’s providing a lot of wonderful resources and energy for the city because people buy the compost later on in the season or when spring comes around, and It’s really nutritious for all the microorganisms and they do provide a lot of really great quality compost once they’re broken down.”
Another interesting way of getting rid of your pumpkins, might involve some friendly creatures
“If you have goats and your pumpkin doesn’t have any paint or anything that’s not organic on it, then certainly that could be fed to them. Some animals don’t do well with pumpkins. If your pumpkin has started to decay, it’s not great to be feeding that to them.”
“So in that case it’s better for it to go into the compost where the microorganisms can break it down much more effectively and cleanly as opposed to making a little squirrel sick or something like that.”
There are many things that people should keep in mind when it comes to decorating pumpkins in the future.
“Think about paints that are biodegradable as opposed to anything that’s going to essentially damage the microorganisms that are going to be employed in breaking down your pumpkin in the future.”
