BURIAL

Pumpkin burial is one of the more seasonal ideas we’ve encountered, specifically because of its connection to Dia de los Muertos.

Celebrated October 31 – November 2, Dia de los Muertos originated in Meso-America and was tied to the harvest season. Indigenous celebrants would dedicate a portion of their bounty to their ancestors, who were believed to return during this time to commune with the living (Gabriela Martinez, Los Angeles Times).

Bury your carved pumpkins in the backyard. You can create a makeshift Dia de los Muertos altar by decorating the burial site with candles, sugar skulls, and photos of your departed ancestors. The buried pumpkins will decompose and enrich the soil naturally and it’s a fun way for children to learn about the spirited Latin holiday.

COMPOST

It’s easy to add those pumpkins to the compost pile. After you or the kids crush the carved pumpkins, throw the broken pieces onto the heap and cover them with leaves.

WARNING: Be sure to remove any candles prior to the pumpkin demolition, and avoid mixing pumpkins that have been painted or treated with chemicals in with the compost heap.

Massachusetts residents, if you are without a compost pile but still want to compost your pumpkins, you may deposit them at the compost site in Avon, MA.

ANIMALS

In a similar vein, you can feed your carved pumpkins to the animals in the wild. Slice your pumpkins into bite-sized pieces before they begin to rot. Then deposit those pieces in an area of your yard accessible to wildlife. If you prefer not to have critters crawling around your property, you can always feed pumpkin to your pet cat or dog.

Pumpkin has a high fiber and water content, which means it’s healthy for your pet’s digestive tract. Again, make sure that the rot has not yet set in with the pumpkin you plan to feed your pet. It’s a good idea to wash the pumpkin once you chop it into chunks so that you can get rid of any bacteria that may have cultivated while the pumpkin was on the porch.

DECORATIONS

As we wrote in our blog post When Orange & Black Meets Green & Blue, you can transform newly carved pumpkins into flower vases. For this fun DIY project, all you need to do is coat the interior of the pumpkin with PVC glue, let it dry, and add water. Hint: This works better with pumpkins that have been cut and gutted than with pumpkins that have been surgically enhanced into jack-o-lanterns.

If carving and flowers aren’t in your candy bag, you can still upcycle your uncarved pumpkins and paint them for the upcoming holidays. Break out the paint, glitter, and glue and see what you can do! If you’re in need of ideas, you can find an endless variety of ways to paint your pumpkins on Pinterest. Simply search for “painted pumpkins” and scroll for an idea that inspires you!

For more environmentally-savvy ideas this Halloween, read our post on How to Create an Eek-O-Friendly Halloween.

Have a happy, fun, and safe Halloween!

Ah yes, Halloween is in the air, and by now the neighborhood kids are getting ready for a night of candy and costumes. Between all the Halloween parties and getting the kids ready for the night, recycling may very well be the last thing on your mind. Well not to fret, here is a quick guide on how to recycle the top 5 most popular Halloween items:

Pumpkins: Turn it into Compost. By breaking it up into smaller pieces and throwing it into the compost bin, you are helping the environment. Just please note that if paint or plastic objects have been applied, composting is not a good idea. Instead, turn your newly carved pumpkin into a vase by coating the pumpkin in some PVC glue, pouring in some water and bingo! You have a ready-made pumpkin vase that not only makes for a great centerpiece but will last for a while after Halloween as well.

Halloween Decorations: You can spay paint plastic pumpkin buckets and make beautiful planters or centerpieces for Thanksgiving. Some things to keep in mind and avoid for next year include: One-time-use, disposable items that will not last from one Halloween to the next, Non-recyclable plastics, including Styrofoam, Non-biodegradable materials, Wasteful and non-recyclable packaging.

Halloween Costumes: Is your child’s costume something they can re-wear for a fun themed birthday party? If not, try giving it away to a neighbor with younger kids, or donating it to your local Salvation Army charity. Next year, inspire your kids to get crafty with things they can find around the house.

Glass Drinking Bottles: These party starters can go straight in the recycling bin. Or, better yet, reuse them for beautiful home decorations.

Candy Wrappers: If your candy wrappers are made by Mars/Wrigley or Cadbury, then great news! You can mail your wrappers to TerraCycle, where they will be remade into cool products. Even better- TerraCycle will pay for your shipping, and donate 2 cents for each candy wrapper to a charity of your choice. Sign up and either start a new Candy Wrapper Brigade Team or join one in your area. Get your school or community organization involved! And don’t forget to check out the neat items that TerraCycle makes from those candy wrappers.

If your candy wrappers are made by some other company, then your main option to keep those plastic bits out of the trash are to get creative.

Tom Cherry, CEO and Founder of Remyndr