{"id":800670,"date":"2019-10-24T11:00:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T17:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/?p=373451"},"modified":"2019-10-24T11:00:30","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T17:00:30","slug":"ask-eartha-send-those-jack-o-lanterns-to-the-compost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/ask-eartha-send-those-jack-o-lanterns-to-the-compost\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask Eartha: Send those jack-o\u2019-lanterns to the compost"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Instead of tossing those pumpkins in the trash, you can compost them so they turn into healthy soil that is used to grow more food. <\/strong>
Courtesy photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Dear Eartha,<\/em><\/p>\n

My family always carves pumpkins for Halloween, but when
\nthe trick-or-treating is over, our pumpkins end up in the trash. Is there any
\nother option for disposing of our spooky squash, so we can make Halloween less
\nwasteful?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014 Bridget, Breckenridge<\/em><\/p>\n

With Halloween right around the corner, families across the
\nU.S. will be carving out jack-o\u2019-lanterns to set out on their doorsteps. With
\nan estimated 145 million Americans participating in this festive tradition, you
\ncan imagine the number of spoiled pumpkins. Here are a few ways to maximize the
\nuse of your pumpkins and reduce your impact during the holiday season.<\/p>\n

How to pick out a pumpkin<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visiting a local pumpkin patch will not only reduce the
\noverall carbon footprint of your pumpkin, but it will also support local
\nfarmers. If you don\u2019t have a pumpkin patch nearby, visit your neighborhood
\ngrocer to find that perfect pumpkin, and don\u2019t forget to look for the Colorado
\nProud sticker. When searching for a pumpkin, look for one with green in the
\nstem. The greener the stem, the fresher the pumpkin, which means it will last
\nlonger on your stoop. Next, knock on the side of the pumpkin to determine how
\nhollow it is. The more hollow-sounding, the more room you will have to put a
\ncandle inside. Once you have selected your ghoulish gourds, you are ready to
\nstart carving.<\/p>\n

Get ready to carve<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you can resist temptation, don\u2019t carve your pumpkins
\nuntil a day or two before Halloween. This limits the amount of time the pumpkin\u2019s
\ninnards are exposed to oxygen, keeping it fresh for Halloween night. As you
\nbegin carving your pumpkin, there will be lots of seeds and goop on the inside.
\nScoop this mush into a bowl and get slimy by separating the seeds. Give them a
\nquick rinse in a strainer, spread them on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil
\nand salt, and pop \u2018em into the oven for a tasty and nutritious snack.<\/p>\n

What to do with the rest of the pumpkin guts? Put them in
\nyour food scrap recycling bucket, of course! As a reminder, food scrap
\nrecycling is now free in Summit County. That means you can collect your food
\nscraps and drop off up to 10 gallons each week at the Breckenridge and Frisco
\nrecycling centers. Your food scraps will be turned into compost right here in
\nSummit County. The High Country Conservation Center still has free food scrap
\nbuckets available, so head to their office in Frisco if you haven\u2019t gotten
\nyours yet.  <\/p>\n

Compost those pumpkins<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once trick-or-treaters have gobbled up all your candy and
\nthe yard has been cleared of all ghoulish decorations, there remains your
\njack-o\u2019-lantern. Sitting stoically, it now expresses a slight slump in its
\ndemeanor, knowing full well its time has come. Instead of tossing those
\npumpkins in the trash, you can compost them so they turn into healthy soil that
\nis used to grow more food.<\/p>\n

Designated pumpkin collection containers will be available
\nFriday, Oct. 25, through Monday, Nov. 11, at the Breckenridge and Frisco
\nrecycling centers. The bins will be clearly marked with pumpkin composting
\nsigns, and they will be next to the normal food scrap recycling containers. Remove
\ncandles and any non-food items from the pumpkin and place it in the dumpster.
\nThe pumpkins will be taken to the Summit County Resource Allocation Park, where
\nthey will be mixed with food waste and other material for composting.<\/p>\n

DIY costumes and decorations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Along with the pumpkin, costumes and decorations are
\nimportant Halloween traditions, but depending on where or how they are made,
\nthey can have a significant environmental impact. Minimize excess waste by
\nfashioning costumes and decorations with materials you have around the house,
\nor peruse your local thrift store for treasures. If you\u2019re having a party, use
\ncloth napkins and reusable plates and silverware. And if you\u2019re not planning to
\nreuse your costume, donate it to a neighbor or a thrift store rather than
\nthrowing it away.<\/p>\n

Remember, the beauty of composting is the nutrients in our food can be recycled over and over again. Forget zombies \u2014 pumpkins and food scraps are the real undead!<\/p>\n

Ask Eartha Steward is written by the staff at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation. Submit questions to Eartha at info@highcountryconservation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Instead of tossing those pumpkins in the trash, you can compost them so they turn into healthy soil that is used to grow more food. Courtesy photo Dear Eartha, My family always carves pumpkins for Halloween, but when the trick-or-treating is over, our pumpkins end up in the trash. Is there any other option for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-800670","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-27 12:55:50","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=800670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800670\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=800670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=800670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=800670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}