How We Should Be Properly Disposing of Our Leftover Pumpkins After the Holidays
It happens after almost every holiday. We’re left with the rotten, dead or expired remnants of the occasion. Eggs after Easter, Trees after Christmas, and pumpkins after Halloween.
Now that Halloween has come and gone, the question remains, “What are we supposed to do with the pumpkins? Well, it depends on who you ask.
You could feed them to deer and other wildlife. You could simply throw them in the trash. You could compost them. Again, the proper thing to do depends on which argument you decide to agree with.
Don’t Throw Pumpkins in the Trash
ApNews reports that Americans are throwing out too much food and local officials are asking the federal government to get involved.
A recent EPA report found that over one-third of all food produced in the United States gets thrown out. Most of this discarded food ends up in landfills. This is a problem because all that organic waste creates methane gas which is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.
The report says, “Reducing waste requires a big psychological change and lifestyle shift from individuals no matter what. Researchers say households are responsible for at least 40% of food waste in the United States.” Local officials from more than 50 municipalities nationwide have signed a letter asking the EPA to do more to cut down on food waste. This includes better-regulated landfills and landfill alternatives.
The Pollution Control Agency also asks that you don’t throw pumpkins in the trash. They suggest you give them to livestock. They claim, “Whole or carved pumpkins and even decorative gourds can be a great source of nutrients for pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, and cows.”
Throw Pumpkins in the Trash
If you listen to The Game and Fish Wildlife Department you should be tossing them in the garbage. They say you should not do what I’ve been doing for years, leaving them for the deer and other wild animals.
They claim that pumpkins cause digestive issues for deer. Maybe this year I’ll continue to leave my pumpkins for the deer, but I’ll also leave them a bottle of probiotics.
5 Unique and Unusual Thanksgiving Traditions to Consider
Turkey Toss
Some people gather to challenge the limits of distance and altitude by launching frozen turkeys. In fact, a group of college students in Indiana took this to the next level in the early 2000s. They came up with the plan of dressing a frozen turkey in a onesie, securing it to a chain, saturating it with lighter fluid, igniting it, and then flinging it across a football field.
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Second Wind Walks
Thanksgiving feasts are often so filling that many families take a post-dinner stroll to make room for dessert. It’s like taking the “I work out so I can eat” mantra to a whole new level. Of course, packing up leftovers for later is an option. But the post-feast walk is a fun tradition for those who can’t resist the temptation of that pumpkin pie.
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Thanksgiving Roasting
A family drew inspiration from the typical Thanksgiving customs and introduced their own unique tradition. As an X user
I think a funny family Thanksgiving tradition was started by our 9 year old. He "roasted" every1 at the table. He figures we roast a turkey.
— JJRsvl (Abhorrent) LIBERTY (@jjrsvl) November 28, 2015" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared, their kid initiated a comical Thanksgiving tradition by “roasting” everyone at the table. The idea was that since they roast a turkey, why not extend the roasting to the family members too. Seriously, what could possibly go wrong?
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