Pumpkins tossed in the trash will end up rotting at the dump, generating methane - a powerful greenhouse gas. Keeping pumpkins, about 1,000 metric tonnes of them in Metro Vancouver, out of the dump will eliminate 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Here are a couple of alternatives.
Eat Jack. Pumpkins are edible, tasty and high in fibre and antioxidants.
Compost Jack. Chop up your pumpkin and put in the backyard compost or balcony worm compost. The worms will provide nutrient-rich compost that can be used to grow next year's pumpkin.
Make a pumpkin groove-yard. Dig a hole about 12-inches deep in your garden and drop in shredded pumpkin chunks. Fill in the trench soil. The nutrients from the gourd will act as a natural fertilizer.
Say goodbye at the curb. Remove candles, chop your pumpkin into pieces and add it to your yard waste can to be collected by the municipality. Make sure the pumpkin doesn't make your can weigh more than 20 kilograms.
