It’s that time of year, you buy a pumpkin, grab a knife and begin your masterpiece. But what happens when your jack-o-lantern turns from spooky decoration to soggy decomposition?
Every year pumpkins are the produce to pick during the Halloween season. According to the USDA, last year 2 billion pounds of pumpkins were grown in the United States. Approximately 85% of pumpkins are grown for carving and decorating, which creates a lot of waste.
Agriculture accounts for 10% of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions, so what can you do with your pumpkin? First, you can eat them!
“Our favorite thing to do with pumpkin is to make pumpkin soup,” life science professor Matt Arrington said.
But when a pumpkin goes bad there’s an alternative to just throwing it away: composting.
“It’s just easier to throw them away,” student Hadleigh Cranston said.
Though it may seems daunting it’s easier than you may think
“It’s as easy as putting a bin under your sink. B be collecting your banana peels or your apple cores,” Arrington said.
Composting helps soil and the environment by using it to enrich soil for plants instead of throwing away waste that goes to the landfill.
“There’s a whole host of things that don’t need to go in the landfill that can supplement your own soil and gardens at home,” Arrington said.
BYU has a composting bin right outside the Life Science Greenhouse and it’s a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint. Just remember the composting rule: if a vegan can eat it, you can compost it.
