How To Recycle Your Jack-o-Lanterns After Halloween

So you hit the pumpkin patch. Hard. And soon the trick-or-treaters will have come and gone and you’ll be left with a dozen pumpkins of various shapes and sizes that you’re not really sure how to dispose of responsibly…until now. We love giving back to our earth and these three methods of pumpkin recycling do just that – waste not, want not!

1. Compost. It’s the easiest thing to do with your carved jack-o-lanterns that are maybe a little worse for the wear thanks to any lingering October heat. They make great food for your garden, just throw ‘em in there, chopped or whole, and let nature do its thing! If you’re a city dweller seek out a community garden that will likely be grateful for the donated organic matter!

2. Donate them to a farm or zoo for animal feed. Pumpkin is wonderfully healthy for human and animals (if you’re interested in cooking yours find a recipe for pumpkin puree here, then turn it into something delicious for you…or your dog!) and there are farms, petting zoos, and regular zoos that happily will accept yours for good animal eatin’.

3. Ready for the cutest post-Halloween craft ever? Make a bird feeder! Like we said, pumpkin is great for animals, and those cute little pumpkins that have adorned your table top for the last month make the sweetest bird attractions, whether you live in an apartment or a home with a yard. Cut a hole in the side and scoop out the guts, and then fill the cavity with some birdseed – they can eat the seed and the pumpkin! Lastly, tie some twine around the stem and hang it outside.

Interested in giving back even more? There are loads of Halloween costume and candy donations available all over the US, do a quick search in your area to see how you can help!