By 
Carved pumpkins don’t belong in the grey bin. Warwickshire County Council is asking residents to recycle or compost what’s left after Halloween, and in Stratford-upon-Avon the easiest way is your weekly food waste caddy.
Put it in your food caddy
Stratford-on-Avon District Council empties food caddies every week, while grey bins only go every three weeks (our bin collection guide has the full timetable and the council’s address lookup). Pumpkin shells, flesh and seeds all count as food waste. The county council says that if a big pumpkin won’t fit in the caddy, you can put it next to the caddy on collection day.
If your caddy is missing or broken, the district council sells replacements: £10 for the outdoor caddy and £5 for the kitchen one.
Or compost it at home
Pumpkin breaks down well in a home compost bin. The county council sells subsidised compost bins: £18 for a 220-litre bin or £30 for a 330-litre one, plus delivery, with a second bin at half price. Order at getcomposting.com or on 0800 316 4454.
Why it matters
Anything in the grey bin is buried or burned, and general waste is the most expensive kind for the council to deal with. The county estimates that if everyone used their food waste service, Warwickshire would save more than £2.5 million a year. Before it gets that far, the insides make soup, and the seeds can be roasted as a snack; Love Food Hate Waste has recipes.
Still need a pumpkin? See our guide to pumpkin picking near Stratford, and everything else in our Halloween in Stratford guide.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
