A Halloween without the horror of waste

Reduce pumpkin waste

When you are choosing a pumpkin, a smaller pumpkin is easier to carry, carve, cook and store, and you are much more likely to use it all.

The biggest pumpkin in the pile may look impressive, but it can leave you with more food than your household can finish. This Halloween, make one small change: choose a pumpkin that matches your plans and your appetite.

Choose with a meal in mind

Before you buy, decide what you would like to make. The flesh can be used in soup, curry, pasta sauce, muffins or a traybake, while the seeds make a crunchy snack when roasted. If you only need enough for one meal, pick a smaller pumpkin rather than the largest one available. Find pumpkin recipe inspiration from Love Food Hate Waste.

Make it easy to use

Don’t leave the edible flesh sitting around after carving. Put it in a covered container in the fridge and use it promptly, or freeze it in portions for another day. Any scraps you can’t eat can go in your food waste bin.

Your pumpkin challenge:

Choose one smaller pumpkin that you know you can finish. You could save money, make cooking easier and leave less food behind.

Give costumes another outing

Before buying a new costume, take five minutes to look through wardrobes, dressing-up boxes and last year’s Halloween decorations. You may already have everything you need to create a great outfit.

Start with one item you already own, such as a black dress, old shirt, hat or cape, then build a character around it. You could also borrow from friends or family, swap costumes with another household or buy second-hand.

You could even arrange a costume swap with classmates, friends or family. It is a simple way to give outfits another outing, find something different and avoid buying new.

After Halloween, wash or repair costumes and pack them away for next year. If they are no longer wanted, pass them on, sell them or donate them while they are still in good condition.

The costume challenge:

Create or find one costume without buying anything new. It could save money, reduce waste and make yours or your child’s outfit more original.