Pumpkins, candy, and seasonal treats—Halloween is a much-anticipated event, and now it’s right around the corner.
While we all prepare to carve the biggest pumpkins and hand out the best candy, it’s also the perfect moment to reflect on the environmental impact of our favorite Halloween traditions, with food waste being a particular concern.
It’s important to note that we don’t have to miss out on our favorite activities but rather focus our efforts on creating sustainable Halloween traditions. That said, both companies and individuals can do their part to divert food from landfills and contribute to sustainability efforts.
Keep reading to learn about the reality of Halloween pumpkin food waste and explore valuable solutions to reduce your environmental footprint.
Key Takeaways
- While not every pumpkin has the same fate, the majority of pumpkin waste is sent to landfills, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, and resource depletion.
- Pumpkin food waste goes far beyond the pumpkin itself. When individuals and businesses throw away pumpkins, they also throw away all the resources required to produce them, including land, water, energy, and labor.
- To reduce the environmental impact of Halloween food waste, businesses can donate their unsold pumpkins to local food banks, community kitchens, or organizations that help feed the needy.
- Composting is another great waste management solution for Halloween waste, as it helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint and creates a nutrient-rich soil amendment that supports plant growth.
Halloween Food Waste Statistics
To better understand the issue of waste during this season, let’s take a deeper look at the Halloween waste facts, which include everything from spending to pumpkin production.
Studies show us that Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $12.2 billion, with 73% of people expected to participate in Halloween-related activities this year. While these statistics include everything from candy to decorations and costumes, it also shows the potential for waste generation. This, in part, includes waste associated with pumpkin carving.
While pumpkin production is not solely for pumpkin carving, it does play a significant role. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, nearly 66,200 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the U.S. in 2020, producing more than 1.5 billion pounds of usable pumpkins, with more than 2 billion produced overall.
In 2022 alone, farmers in the top six pumpkin-producing states harvested more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins combined. Of this, Illinois was the leader in pumpkin acreage harvested and yield, producing 634 million pounds in 2022, which is more than the other 5 most productive states combined.
When used for carving, these pumpkins are often purchased, carved, and thrown away days later. As we’ll discuss more below, this not only contributes to excess landfill use but also wastes the resources required to produce pumpkins.
That said, it’s clear that better food waste management strategies are required to prevent pumpkins from being one of the most wasted products in America.
With roughly a third of the world’s food wasted annually, these strategies should go beyond Halloween festivities and be applied all year long.
What Happens to Unsold Pumpkins After Halloween?
Not every pumpkin has the same fate. That said, the unfortunate truth is that many pumpkins are sent to landfills, which in turn contributes to many environmental issues.
The issue of food waste, which includes Halloween pumpkin waste, leads to:
- Increased greenhouse gas emissions: When pumpkin waste and other organic materials decompose in landfills, they produce methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. To prevent food releasing methane in landfills, effective waste management strategies must be implemented to increase landfill diversion.
- Loss of biodiversity: Overproduction can lead to habitat destruction and deforestation, meaning food that is produced and never consumed has a direct impact on biodiversity. Additionally, the pollution from landfills can disrupt local ecosystems, therefore harming animal and plant life.
- Resource depletion: As we’ll discuss in more detail below, food waste does not only waste the food itself but all the resources required to produce it. In addition to damaging the environment, wasting valuable resources also has economic implications that affect everyone throughout the supply chain.
For the above reasons, diverting wasted food from landfills should be a top priority. For individuals, this may mean getting involved in local composting initiatives. Businesses that generate larger quantities of waste, on the other hand, can implement their own programs or partner with a waste management company to address large-scale Halloween waste.
Understanding the Resources Behind Pumpkin Farming
As mentioned, pumpkins are a huge part of Halloween food waste. However, waste goes far beyond the pumpkin itself. When individuals and businesses throw away pumpkins, they also throw away all the resources required to produce them.
This includes:
- Land: As stated in the Halloween waste statistics above, nearly 66,200 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the U.S. in 2020. That said, when pumpkins are wasted, it means the land used to produce them could have been used more efficiently.
- Water: Pumpkins demand high amounts of water, requiring on average 2 to 4 megaliters (ML) of water per hectare during the growing period. With water being such a valuable resource around the world, it’s essential that it’s used to produce items that will be consumed rather than wasted.
- Energy: Energy is required at all stages of pumpkin production. This includes mechanical processes like plowing the fields, running irrigation systems, harvesting, storage, and transportation.
- Labor: And lastly, pumpkins must be planted, watered, harvested, processed, and sold—all things that require labor. To increase efficiency, this labor could be used to produce products that are consumed, therefore contributing to more sustainable farming practices.
Food production, whether for pumpkins or other types of produce, requires significant investment, both economically and in terms of resources. Pumpkin production is particularly delicate due to seasonal demand shifts, meaning it has high demand in September and October but drops quickly by November.
To prevent holiday food waste, businesses should be mindful of these surges in demand, planning accordingly to avoid the overproduction and overordering of pumpkins.
Solutions for Handling Leftover Pumpkin Waste After Halloween
Businesses have the opportunity to reduce the environmental consequences of pumpkin food waste by implementing better waste management practices.
If you’re interested in handling food waste more efficiently, consider these solutions:
- Donations: Businesses can donate their unsold pumpkins to local food banks, community kitchens, or organizations that help feed the needy. In addition to diverting Halloween food waste from landfills, this helps reduce food insecurity and creates a positive brand image for businesses. Businesses can also gain potential tax deductions from donations, adding an extra financial incentive to giving back.
- Composting: Food waste and composting go hand in hand in sustainability efforts, especially for products (such as carved pumpkins) that cannot be donated for consumption. By turning food waste to fertilizer, businesses can reduce their environmental footprint and create a nutrient-rich soil amendment that supports plant growth and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. This is a great option for small and large businesses alike, as they can either get involved in existing programs, start their own, or partner with a food waste management company to facilitate efforts.
- Animal feed: Turning pumpkins into animal feed is an effective way to repurpose food waste. In fact, one study suggests that pumpkins show great potential as animal feed, not only for their nutritional value but also due to the presence of antioxidants, pigments, and polysaccharides. These compounds can enhance the quality of animal products such as meat, milk, and eggs while also promoting better overall animal health.
The Bottom Line
Now that we know how many pumpkins are wasted on Halloween, it’s critical that we all do our part to minimize its effects. To reduce Halloween food waste and address year-round organic waste, businesses must implement effective food waste management strategies.
At Shapiro, we provide food waste services that help businesses achieve sustainability goals and create a zero-waste culture. We’ll create a tailored solution for you that helps you reach your unique short- and long-term goals.
Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Halloween Food Waste FAQs
Yes, pumpkin carving is a huge contributor to Halloween waste, as many pumpkins are carved, left out to rot, and sent to landfills. To reduce the environmental impact of this tradition, individuals and businesses can prioritize better waste management practices, such as composting.
One of the top solutions for carved pumpkins is composting, as it diverts waste from landfills and creates a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Individuals who carve pumpkins at home can also use their carved parts creatively, such as creating a pumpkin puree or adding it to seasonal dishes.
Yes, pumpkins can be handled alongside other types of food waste. This means businesses can easily gather and manage pumpkin waste.
In the United States, more than 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkin are sent to landfills every year. This contributes to many environmental, economic, and social consequences.
Yes. When Halloween pumpkin food waste and other organic waste are sent to landfills, it has a long-lasting impact on the environment. This includes the production of methane emissions, increased pollution, loss of biodiversity, and resource depletion.
Baily Ramsey, an accomplished marketing specialist, brings a unique blend of anthropological insight and marketing finesse to the digital landscape. Specializing in educational content creation, she creates content for various industries, with a particular interest in environmental initiatives.
