Pumpkin waste is scarier than you think

Every October, Europe bursts into colour. Trees glow red and gold, and fields, shops, and doorsteps are dotted with bright orange pumpkins. Many end up carved into cheerful Halloween faces or arranged in autumn displays. But behind this fun festive tradition lies a less cheerful reality: a huge number of edible pumpkins rot on our doorsteps instead of getting eaten. How did such a nutritious vegetable become one of autumn’s biggest sources of food waste?

In this article, we’ll follow pumpkins on their journey: where they came from, why so many go to waste, and how we can enjoy them fully without losing any of the Halloween magic. With just a few simple tweaks, you can keep your favourite traditions while reducing waste — and discover some delicious new ways to celebrate the season. 

The surprising origin of pumpkins 

To understand how pumpkins ended up as the stars of Halloween, we need to go way back to where their story began, around 10,000 years ago in the fertile valleys of Central and South America.¹ 

It was from those original early harvests that pumpkins were first grown and since then, they have spread far and wide. When they arrived in Europe in the 16th century, their versatility quickly made them an important part of local diets and seasonal traditions.²

Before pumpkins became popular, people in Europe carved turnips, beetroots, and even potatoes to make lanterns.³ These “spirit lights” were linked to legends and were believed to keep evil spirits away during autumn festivals. Pumpkins came later and quickly became the favourite because they were bigger, brighter, and much easier to carve. Over time, they transformed into the glowing orange lanterns we now recognise as a symbol of Halloween.⁴

Today, that popularity means we grow them on a massive scale, not only for eating but especially for carving. And that’s where a new chapter in their story begins: how they’re grown, and why so many end up wasted.

How pumpkins are grown 

Pumpkins are surprisingly easy to grow, which is why they’ve become such a familiar sight in autumn. Sometimes they appear completely by accident! If you toss pumpkin seeds into a compost pile, the warm, nutrient-rich conditions can make them sprout all on their own.

The challenge with pumpkins isn’t that they’re particularly resource-intensive. They rarely need watering in most soil types.⁵ And, when consumed, pumpkins are nutritious and environmentally friendly: high in fibre and micronutrients, with a much lower footprint than resource-heavy foods like chocolate, coffee, meat, and dairy.^{6 7}

The real issue is the scale at which we grow them for decoration rather than for eating. A single pumpkin in the bin might not seem like much, but when millions of us discard one each, the waste quickly adds up and the impact is quite, well, scary. Let’s take a quick look at just how big the problem really is.

Pumpkin waste in Europe

While it’s tricky to find precise figures for pumpkin production and waste across Europe, we do know that the problem is huge. Take the UK, for example: around 10 million pumpkins are grown each year, yet an estimated 95% never get eaten. Instead, most are used for Halloween decorations and then thrown away.⁸ That’s roughly 18,000 tonnes of food wasted every year, just from Halloween pumpkins alone. 

The situation doesn’t look good, but the scale of the problem is getting attention and we’re starting to see some signs of change.

New laws, mission-driven businesses, and everyday people are all stepping up to find creative ways to rescue food and reduce waste. For example, one green energy company in the UK collected pumpkins as part of a Halloween campaign. In October 2024, approximately 100,000 discarded pumpkins were collected and processed into enough clean energy to power 10,000 homes for a day. And the leftover biomass was turned into nutrient-rich fertiliser for farms.⁹

Stories like this remind us that food waste doesn’t have to be a lost resource. It can become a valuable source of energy and fertile soil for new food. But the most effective way to tackle food waste is to prevent it from happening at all. That’s where you come in. By carving your pumpkin thoughtfully, you can keep the fun of Halloween alive, as well as stop food from being wasted. Here’s how to turn your pumpkin into both a spooky lantern and a delicious meal.

Carving a pumpkin without the food waste

1. Choosing your pumpkin

If possible, pick an edible variety; these tend to be sweeter and more flavoursome than carving varieties. But don’t worry if all you can find is a traditional carving pumpkin. It’s still perfectly safe to eat; the flesh can be tougher but all it takes is a few extra spices, herbs, or roasting time to bring out the flavour.¹⁰ A good tip: edible pumpkins often have denser, firmer flesh, while carving varieties are larger, lighter, and stringier.¹¹

2. Preparing and hollowing out the pumpkin

• Wash the pumpkin and dry it.
• Cut a lid around the stem, angling the knife slightly inward so the lid doesn’t fall inside.
• Scoop out the seeds and most of the flesh with a spoon. Keep these in a bowl. You can roast the seeds for a snack and use the flesh in recipes. If you’re not using these parts right away, you want to pop them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them in the next day or two. 
• Place the pumpkin on a stable surface and use a small, sharp knife or carving tools.

3. Making the pumpkin lantern

• Choose your design and lightly sketch it with a knife before cutting fully. This makes carving easier and helps avoid mistakes.
• Remove large chunks first, then work on the details. You don’t always have to cut all the way through; shallow cuts can create patterns which light up beautifully when a candle shines behind them.  

4. Lighting safely

• Place a small candle, like a tea light, inside your pumpkin. To prevent the lid from catching fire, cut small ventilation holes in the top or leave the lid slightly open. 
• Otherwise, you can use an electric candle. LED tea lights are especially safe and long-lasting.

5. Using the pumpkin flesh in recipes

• Carving pumpkin varieties can be bland, so go heavy on warming spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin) or herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary) when making soups, curries, or pies. Pumpkins are an edible crop, so even “carving pumpkins” must follow the same food safety standards as other vegetables sold in the EU or UK. That means they’re safe to eat before they’ve been used as a lantern.¹⁵
• If you wanted to make a seasonal dinner to celebrate autumn, you could serve a pumpkin and sage soup to start, followed by a warm salad of roasted root vegetables and whole grains, a mushroom risotto, or a hearty vegetable stew. Finish with autumn desserts such as apple crumble, pear tart, or spiced pumpkin pie.

End-of-life pumpkin tips

Enjoying your pumpkin as food is always the best option. But once it’s been used as a lantern, the flesh and skin shouldn’t be eaten. That doesn’t mean it has to go to waste! Here are some responsible ways to give your pumpkin a good ending:

Compost it

• The best option is to return your pumpkin to the soil by composting it. Cut it into smaller chunks to help it biodegrade (break down) faster. If you have a garden compost bin, add it there. In smaller spaces, you can try alternatives like a worm bin or a bokashi system. This is perfect for flats or balconies.
• When food waste is composted and then used in farms or gardens, it becomes an amazing substance which improves soil health by feeding worms and microbes. Food waste becomes part of the cycle for new plants and food to grow.

Feed wildlife (or pigs!)

• Small, unmouldy pieces can be left out on a bird table or in the garden. Birds, hedgehogs, and insects will thank you for the treat. This isn’t allowed everywhere, so be sure to check if it’s okay to do so where you live.¹⁶
• Some local farms collect pumpkins as treats for their pigs or other animals. So you could always ask a farmer about this if you go to the market.¹⁶

Bin only as a last resort

• Sending pumpkins to the landfill should be avoided where possible, as they don’t decompose the way they would in a garden compost heap. Instead, squashed under piles of other waste, they rot without oxygen, releasing methane gas, a greenhouse gas around 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.¹⁶
• If composting or feeding wildlife isn’t an option, the bin can be used. But think of it as the very last choice.

By following these steps, you can enjoy all the magic of Halloween while reducing food waste, feeding your family delicious meals, and even helping wildlife. Your pumpkin lantern will shine on the table, while the flesh becomes a warming, tasty part of your autumn feast.

A pumpkin with purpose

Pumpkins are more than just a symbol of Halloween. They are a delicious, versatile food and a reminder of the larger challenge of food waste. Across Europe, around 20 per cent of the food we buy ends up wasted, with fruits and vegetables among the most discarded items.¹⁷ Pumpkins are no exception, often ending up in bins after a brief time as decorations. 

By choosing edible varieties, using the flesh in soups, roasting the seeds, and responsibly composting or feeding leftover pumpkin to wildlife, we can all make a difference while still enjoying the fun and magic of pumpkin lanterns.