The environmental charity Hubbub says that around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin flesh is wasted every year in the UK.
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Authorities across London are trying to promote recycling and reduce the amount of waste from pumpkin carving.
Both Lambeth and Southwalk councils held events this month promoting pumpkin based meals whilst Camden shared recipe ideas on Social Media.
Wondering what to do with the inside of your carved pumpkin this Halloween? ???????? From roasted pumpkin seeds to spicy pumpkin soup there are lots of ways to make sure nothing goes to waste. Check out some recipes at https://t.co/vZxaYdRCK5#Halloween@LFHW_UKpic.twitter.com/0ixaQMvNDA
The environmental charity Hubbub says that around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin flesh is wasted every year in the UK.
To put that in perspective, Small Change Big Difference estimate 910,000 tonnes of food in total is wasted every year in London.
These high numbers are partly caused by the fact that 51% of those who buy pumpkins in the UK throw away the innards.
In response, London campaigners are getting creative in the fight against Halloween food waste.
Councils are urging people not to throw away pumpkin seeds but instead use them for a delicious autumnal meal.
Hackney-based sustainable food app Too Good To Go has launched a social media campaign to encourage Londoners to re-use their Halloween pumpkins.
The #pimpmypumpkin campaign provides recipes for pumpkin leftovers and aims to make people more aware of the environmental toll of food waste.
Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To, says “there are so many great ways to use up leftover pumpkin – you could roast the seeds for a tasty snack or use the innards for a soup or stew”.
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden invites the local community to carve over 1,200 pumpkins for their nightly lantern festival in the run-up to Halloween.
The organisers say they compost all the innards to ensure nothing is wasted and that some volunteer carvers take the seeds home.
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is for the local community and carves over 1,200 pumpkins for their nightly lantern festival in the run-up to Halloween. Credit: Charlie Ashworth for City News
There are many possible uses for pumpkin flesh such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin curry, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin soup and dried pumpkin seeds for salads and soup.
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HeadlineHalloween Food Waste is Scaring Londoners
Short HeadlineHalloween Food Waste is Scaring Londoners
StandfirstLondon campaigners and councils are getting creative in the fight against Halloween food waste.
Authorities across London have been trying to promote recycling and reduce the amount of waste from pumpkin carving.
Both Lambeth and Southwalk councils held events this month promoting pumpkin based meals whilst Camden shared dishes online.
Wondering what to do with the inside of your carved pumpkin this Halloween? ???????? From roasted pumpkin seeds to spicy pumpkin soup there are lots of ways to make sure nothing goes to waste. Check out some recipes at https://t.co/vZxaYdRCK5#Halloween@LFHW_UKpic.twitter.com/0ixaQMvNDA
The environmental charity Hubbub says that around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin flesh is wasted every year in the UK. To put that in perspective Small Change Big Difference estimate 910,000 tonnes of food in total is wasted every year in London .
These high numbers are because 51% of those who buy pumpkins in the UK also throw away the innards.
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is for the local community and carves over 1200 pumpkins for their nightly lantern festival in the run-up to Halloween. The organisers say they compost all the innards to ensure nothing is wasted and that some volunteer carvers take the seeds home.
Pumpkin lanterns in Dalston (Charlie Ashworth for City News)
Ilaria Mezzogori, a Project Coordinator for Hubbub says people can be educated with “classes and cooking workshops and just by example and looking at the people not throwing away their squashes but actually reusing them”. She says those doing this “create a buzz and a talk and people will think about it next time they’re going to carve their own squash”
There are many possible uses for pumpkin flesh such as:
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin curry
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin soup
Dried pumpkin seeds for salads and soup
Authorities across London are trying to promote recycling and reduce the amount of waste from pumpkin carving.
Both Lambeth and Southwalk councils held events this month promoting pumpkin based meals whilst Camden shared recipe ideas on Social Media.
Wondering what to do with the inside of your carved pumpkin this Halloween? ???????? From roasted pumpkin seeds to spicy pumpkin soup there are lots of ways to make sure nothing goes to waste. Check out some recipes at https://t.co/vZxaYdRCK5#Halloween@LFHW_UKpic.twitter.com/0ixaQMvNDA
The environmental charity Hubbub says that around 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin flesh is wasted every year in the UK.
To put that in perspective, Small Change Big Difference estimate 910,000 tonnes of food in total is wasted every year in London.
These high numbers are partly caused by the fact that 51% of those who buy pumpkins in the UK throw away the innards.
In response, London campaigners are getting creative in the fight against Halloween food waste.
Councils are urging people not to throw away pumpkin seeds but instead use them for a delicious autumnal meal.
Hackney-based sustainable food app Too Good To Go has launched a social media campaign to encourage Londoners to re-use their Halloween pumpkins.
The #pimpmypumpkin campaign provides recipes for pumpkin leftovers and aims to make people more aware of the environmental toll of food waste.
Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To, says “there are so many great ways to use up leftover pumpkin – you could roast the seeds for a tasty snack or use the innards for a soup or stew”.
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden invites the local community to carve over 1,200 pumpkins for their nightly lantern festival in the run-up to Halloween.
The organisers say they compost all the innards to ensure nothing is wasted and that some volunteer carvers take the seeds home.
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is for the local community and carves over 1,200 pumpkins for their nightly lantern festival in the run-up to Halloween. Credit: Charlie Ashworth for City News
There are many possible uses for pumpkin flesh such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin curry, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin soup and dried pumpkin seeds for salads and soup.
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