Dear Recycle Lady,
Can Halloween jack-o-lanterns be composted?
Loves Halloween
Dear Loves Halloween,
Yes, used or cut Halloween pumpkins can be composted and will add green waste to your compost. Be sure to remove any candles, paint, or wax that you may have used in making the jack-o-lanterns. Smash or chop up your pumpkins into smaller pieces so they will compost faster. If you saved the seeds when cutting your jack-o-lantern, try roasting them. Roasted pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack as they are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. See www.tasteofhome.com/article/roast-pumpkin-seeds/, for step-by-step instructions for roasting pumpkin seeds. Raw or dried pumpkin seeds can be put in a dish, feeder or mixed with suet for a healthy bird snack that gives birds both nutrients and energy. Be sure there is no salt, seasoning, flavoring, or candy on the seeds as they are not healthy for birds.
The website https://www.beakybites.co.uk/blog/can-birds-eat-pumpkin-seeds-the-best-way-to-feed-them has great ideas for preparing pumpkin seeds for birds. Deer and other wildlife also like pumpkins. Just put them out in a field or lightly forested area. One word of caution: break open your pumpkins so a hungry deer won’t get its head stuck inside the pumpkin! Composting, or feeding humans or wildlife with used pumpkins and seeds, is so much better than sending them to the landfill. According to the World Economic Forum, landfills around the country receive about 900,000 tons of pumpkins every year and they add 13 billion tons of global food waste yearly. This food waste in landfills emit a potent greenhouse gas, methane (CH4), that generates Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and contributes to climate change. Disposing of a Halloween pumpkin sustainably is one small way we can make Halloween activities more environmentally friendly.
Dear Recycle Lady,
I have several cans of paint in my basement left over from a renovation. Some of the cans are nearly empty, others are about half full. Can these cans of paint be put in the trash?
Painter
Dear Painter,
Thanks for asking about safe disposal of your paint cans. According to repaintnow.com/dispose-of-paint-can, paint cans must be disposed of properly for the safety of the public and the environment. Oil paints are flammable and can be more hazardous than latex water-based paints. Fortunately, most of the latex and oil-base house paints do not contain very hazardous materials and can be disposed of safely. If the paint cans are completely empty, remove the lids and place them in the trash. If your cans contain only a small amount of water-based latex paint, you should open the lid of the can and let the paint dry completely in a well-ventilated area. This may take from a few hours to a few days, depending on the amount of paint and the paint itself. When dry, these cans can be put in the trash, with the lid removed.
If your paint cans have a large amount of leftover paint, there are several alternatives to preparing them for safe disposal. Inexpensive commercial paint hardening products are available, or you can add kitty litter, sawdust, cement or sand to the paint. Mix it until the paint is solidified and not spillable. They can now be disposed of safely. The lids of these paint cans should be left on. Cans of untreated paint are not acceptable at landfills as they are considered hazardous waste. The best choice for cans of leftover paint is to take them to ReStore, a nonprofit that accepts and resells items, including cans of unused paint, for the benefit Habitat for Humanity. ReStore is located outside Lewisburg on Route 219 N, across from Rosewood Cemetery. (1431 N. Jefferson Street.)
To all my readers: Happy Halloween. Be safe and have a spooky good time!
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
