What’s scarier than a toddler’s sugar crash on Halloween? Pollution! You may not associate this time of year with drinking water pollution, but as you are getting decorations and costumes ready, start thinking about waste and how to dispose of or repurpose your Halloween fun.
Pumpkin waste
In 2022, farmers in the top six pumpkin-producing states in the country harvested more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins combined. According to the USDA, most pumpkins are grown for decorative purposes, with a smaller amount processed into food products. So what happens to the rest of the pumpkins? If you’re prone to just tossing your pumpkin in the trash, understand that they can’t be properly broken down in landfills which lack enough oxygen to break down organic matter. Plastic decorations attached to pumpkins which are left outside could be washed away by rain and into our waterways.
Never fear! There are plenty of ways to use and dispose of your pumpkin properly. Remove your decorations and add those pumpkins to your compost pile or bury them in the garden. Roast the seeds and cook the inside for fresh pumpkin puree. Squirrels eating your fall produce? Distract them by leaving your pumpkin out for a Halloween feast. Find a site participating in Pumpkins For Pigs and take your pumpkins there to provide feed or compost to our squeaky friends.
Disposable decorations and costumes
Many Halloween costumes, decorations, and party goods are made of cheap plastic and used only once. Come November they often end up in landfills where harmful substances can leach into soil and surface water. Try to reuse costumes from friends, swap with family members or make your own from materials you have at home. Use natural materials such as grasses and leaves for decoration. If you do purchase decorations, find sustainable products or products which can be easily recycled.
Don’t let waste haunt your Halloween this year. Groundwater is our drinking water. Protect it!
