Spread the word about how to safely dispose of pumpkins this Halloween

As the Halloween season comes upon us, we're spreading the word about the dangers to wildlife of leaving leftover pumpkins in woodlands. In a well-meaning attempt to leave food for birds and other creatures, there has been a trend in recent years for leftover Halloween pumpkins to be taken and left in the nearest woodland.

Eating pumpkins can be dangerous for hedgehogs, and as the pumpkins rot they can also have a detrimental effect on woodland soils, plants and fungi, but there are other environmentally-friendly ways to use up your pumpkins this Halloween.

  • Check out tasty pumpkin recipes here. Research from 2024 suggests that 24.5 million pumpkins went to waste in the UK that year alone, but they're a tasty and versatile ingredient!
  • Compost them for your garden - find tips for this here
  • Place them in your food waste bin, where they can go to provide compost for others

Thank you for helping to keep wildlife safe this autumn!