With news on; Oxford blames pumpkins for November food waste spike; Try second hand costumes this Halloween, says Zero Waste Scotland; Tewkesbury warns residents about Halloween plastic waste; ReFood urges action on pumpkin waste, and; Warwickshire offers pumpkin waste advice.
Oxford blames pumpkins for November food waste spike
Pumpkins are to blame for a November spike in food waste, say waste officers at Oxfordshire county council.
Oxfordshire county council waste officers say that last year they saw a spike in food waste after Halloween
They believe that last year figures showed a ‘pumpkin peak’ in household food waste figure for November – a spike second only to the January collection after Christmas.
The council say that whilst they are glad residents are using their food waste service, much of the food which is thrown away in the caddies could be eaten – this year they are encouraging Oxfordshire to ‘Carve it, Cook it, Eat it’.
Teresa Mitchell, waste manager at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “With a bit of thought and creativity, pumpkins can have a useful life beyond Halloween. There are so many healthy and green alternatives to throwing them away.
“We are proud to support Good Food Oxford’s Pumpkin Festival and as well as the events they are holding there are lots of recipes available to make delicious soups, curries, cakes and even pumpkin brownies.
Try second hand costumes this Halloween, says Zero Waste Scotland
Scottish consumers are being encouraged to buy their Halloween costumes second hand, as part of a push by Zero Waste Scotland to reduce waste created by the festivities.
Zero Waste Scotland are encouraging consumers to buy secondhand costumes from their Revolve shops for Halloween
The government-funded group say that their network of 140 Revolve reuse stores are full of unique pre-loved clothes that would be perfect for fancy dress. Revolve is Zero Waste Scotland’s certification process which supports re-use stores that meet all relevant legislative and trading standards, including product checking for second hand goods.
Catherine Bozec, consumer campaigns manager, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Kitting out the whole family for Halloween can be a scary prospect, but buying your items from Revolve certified stores means you can save money and still have all the fun of putting an amazing costume together.
“By shopping Revolve and not buying new people are doing their bit to save the planet whilst supporting local organisations that make a positive social impact in the community.”
Tewkesbury warns residents about Halloween plastic waste
Tewkesbury borough council are encouraging residents to reuse more this Halloween in a bid to reduce the amount of plastic waste created by Halloween celebrations.
Wayne Lewis – head of Gloucestershire’s Joint Waste Team which manages waste in Tewkesbury – particularly highlighted the problem of textile waste from Halloween costumes. Environmental charity Hubbub estimates that 33 million people dressed up for Halloween in 2017 but shockingly 40% of costumes were only worn once.
He said: “While clothes may not be what most people first think about when it comes to plastic, many fancy dress outfits are actually made from polyester, a plastic based material.
“Halloween is probably one of the few times in the year where literally anything goes. Whether it’s creating costumes from clothing beyond its best, looking in local charity shops for last year’s castoffs to decorating empty glass jars to make tea light holders we are keen for the public to reuse as much as they can and take a moment to consider just how much rubbish is created for one evening’s entertainment through our purchasing habits.”
ReFood urges action on pumpkin waste
Food waste recycling business ReFood is urging people in the UK to eat their pumpkins, rather than just throwing them away after carving.
The ReFood facility in Dagenham, which processes food waste such as pumpkins
Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, says consumers should reconsider the unnecessary waste created at Halloween. Despite being a superfood, less than a third of the 15 million pumpkins grown in the UK every year are actually eaten.
Mr Simpson says this is equivalent to 360 million portions of pumpkin pie being wasted, or enough to make a bowl of soup for every person in the UK. ReFood want to see food eaten and, if not, recycled.
Mr Simpson said: “Our ambition is to see zero waste to landfill right across the UK, using the food waste hierarchy to ensure the best use of resources wherever possible.
“This absolutely includes pumpkin waste at Halloween. Our message is therefore clear – while waste may be unavoidable, capturing the value in resources is easily achievable if we opt for sustainable solutions to divert waste from landfill.”
Warwickshire offers pumpkin waste advice
Warwickshire county council are offering their residents a range of advice to help them put their Halloween pumpkins to good use.
Warwickshire county council are offering advice on reducing pumpkin waste
The council’s guidance tells residents to hollow out their pumpkin as much as possible before carving, so that this flesh can be eaten. It also suggests that residents try carving a different vegetable which they may be more likely to eat, such as a butternut squash or a turnip – or not carve a pumpkin at all if they don’t plan to eat it. Most of all, Warwickshire say plastic pumpkins should be avoided at all costs.
Once pumpkins have been carved and the edible content removed, Warwickshire officers are reminding residents to compost the at home or place them in their food waste caddy to be sent for processing at an In-Vessel Composter (IVC) within the county.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Plastic
