Can you recycle pumpkins?
♻️ Yes — kerbside recycling
Food waste caddy, compost heap or garden waste bin — 18,000 tonnes get binned every Halloween.
Carved pumpkins are food waste: chop them into the caddy, compost them at home, or (uncarved, unwaxed, unpainted) leave chunks out for wildlife. Painted or glittered pumpkins must go in general waste.
Tips
- Roast the seeds first
- No paint, glitter or candle wax if composting or feeding wildlife
Which bin does it go in?
Food waste caddy, compost heap or garden waste bin — 18,000 tonnes get binned every Halloween.
Background: Home composting: turn half your bin into free soil.
Also searched as: halloween pumpkin, jack o lantern.
✓ Checked against current UK guidance: 14 Jul 2026. Spot an error or an out-of-date rule?