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What should I do with leftover jack-o'-lanterns and pumpkins? 3 options

Halloween is over, but don't send your pumpkin off to a landfill. Here's what you can do with them.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — You may be wondering if those Halloween pumpkins will last until Thanksgiving. If you've already carved them - not a chance. 

The jack-o'-lanterns have done their jobs, and there are several options for what you can do with leftover pumpkins that won't be able to stick around much longer. 

Recycling

Bowling Green residents can taken them to the city's yard waste recycling drop-off area located off of Tarragon Drive. City officials said recycling is free for all city residents. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and they accept all yard waste as long as it doesn't have bark on it. 

"If residents aren't disposing of their pumpkins, especially if they made the jack-o'-lanterns where they are cutting into it, it will break down quite a bit faster," said Rachel Sizer, the sustainability coordinator for the city of Bowling Green. "We recently passed an ordinance here within the city that prohibits certain wildlife, so we don't want them getting into the pumpkins and creating a mess. Also they will just break down and become moldy stinky slimy and create a bit of an eye sore."

Sizer said recycling helps protect the environment while also keeping it clean.

The city encourages residents to remove candles and decorations from pumpkins. Once you arrive at the recycling facility, you can place the pumpkins in one of the three black dumpsters marked for yard waste.

They will then be taken to Wood County's Yard Waste Recycling area to be composted. 

The city hopes to save space in the landfill, as even a smaller pumpkin can take up some space. And hundreds of them rotting in a landfill creates a rank smell and invites unwanted rodents.

"When they go in the landfill first of all they take up space and we want to conserve as much space in landfills as possible," Sizer said. "But when items like organic material go in landfills they'll break down and that's not good. We don't want to release anymore liquids or any gas production so if we can compost it and divert that waste and turn it into something else like fertilizer for our soil. We'd rather do that."

If you don't live in Bowling Green, check with your local jurisdiction to see if they offer recycling services. 

Composting

If you don't live near a compost BG officials say let your pumpkins naturally decompose in a discrete area of your yard to avoid the landfills. 

Pumpkins that have been carved decompose over the course of a few short weeks. If you choose to decompose pumpkins in your yard, don't be surprised if you have some volunteer pumpkin sprouts come springtime. 

Food

If you have not carved your pumpkin, get creative. The skin, seeds and flesh of a pumpkin are all edible, though cooking them is highly recommended. (Eating a raw pumpkin is not desirable.)

You can find a few recipes ideas below. Search for these online to find a recipe that suits your needs:

  • Pumpkin pancakes
  • Pumpkin ginger cupcakes
  • Pumpkin soup
  • Pumpkin cheesecake
  • Pumpkin cookies
  • Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
  • Pumpkin dip
  • Pumpkin pie
  • Spicy pumpkin chili
  • Pumpkin cupcakes
  • Pumpkin butter
  • Pumpkin waffles

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