Laura Ney, agriculture and natural resources extension agent for Athens-Clarke County, spoke with the Augusta Chronicle about the impact discarded pumpkins can have on the environment.
As the temperature drops, many people bring out pumpkins for home decor. However, Ney warns against throwing pumpkins in the garbage at the end of the season.
“What we toss out ends up in a landfill along with all the rest of the garbage that’s been picked up,” Ney said. “Landfills have a lifespan, which a lot of people don’t realize. So on one level, just keeping any amount of waste out of the landfill is helpful for your local municipality.”
When sent to landfills, pumpkins create and release methane gas.
“One thing that’s really easy to keep out of the garbage is fruit and vegetable matter,” she said. “Fruits and vegetables, especially pumpkins, have a lot of water content. They will create methane because they’re packed into the landfill in a no oxygen environment. This means they break down anaerobically, without oxygen, causing methane release.”
To avoid having to toss out your pumpkins, Ney recommends some alternatives.
“If you decide to use your pumpkin before they start to get squishy, consider using them for a fall dinner,” she said.
Pumpkin seeds can be roasted for a tasty snack or left out for birds and other wildlife to eat. You could also make pumpkin purée or research other pumpkin-based recipes.
“Some pumpkins work better in recipes such as pies and soups,” said Ney. “You can just eat them before they go bad. You can also chop them up and roast them like you would a butternut squash or acorn squash. A lot of those recipes will work the same.”
Other options include leaving it outside, adding it to compost or gifting it to local farm animals (with the permission of their owners).
“Letting them break down naturally somewhere in your yard works, too,” said Ney. “You can sit it under one of your bushes and let it break down naturally. Pumpkins tend to break down very quickly, especially if you chop it up into little pieces and spread it out around your yard. If you have a compost pile that’s another alternative to tossing them into the garbage.”