One exciting way to get people involved is a pumpkin smash. Families are encouraged to compost their carved pumpkins and help turn Halloween leftovers into compost. It’s a fun, hands-on way to teach children about food waste and sustainability.
This is part of Leicestershire County Council’s wider campaign to support local waste reduction.
For more details or to get involved, email: waste.prevention@leics.gov.uk
• Nearly 22 million pumpkins go uneaten each Halloween in the UK.
• The flesh, seeds, and stringy bits can be used to make soups, snacks, and even sweet treats!
Get inspired with pumpkin recipes and tips from Love Food Hate Waste: Make the most of your pumpkin
It’s not just food waste we need to think about — around 7 million Halloween costumes end up in the bin each year. Instead of buying new, why not organise a costume swap in your local hub, school, or community centre?
We’ve made it easy with our Toolkit, available on the Less Waste website: Clothes Swap Toolkit
If you can't find a way to swap or reuse costumes or decorations, please avoid putting any with batteries into your bins as this can cause fires. Please remove any batteries and recycle them separately.