If you’re wondering what to do with your Halloween pumpkin after Wednesday, then Swindon Borough Council would like a word.

The local authority is keen to get as many people as possible to either compost the seasonal squash if they have a garden and a compost heap or chop it up after it’s completed its purpose and put it in the food waste caddy for collection on the next bin and recycling day.

A spokesman for the council said: “On average, over £60 worth of food is thrown in the bin by UK households each month. Where waste does have to be thrown away, make use of the weekly food waste collection service.

“Everyone’s efforts have helped recycle more than 4,440 tonnes of food waste since November 2023.”

Other things you can place in your food waste caddy include food leftovers and plate scrapings, eggs, tea bags and coffee grounds, meat and fish, raw and cooked food, bones from meat, poultry or fish, and pet food.

The council’s website has a feature called the Waste Wizard. Any resident who is unsure what to do with a particular item can type it into the search box in the app and it will tell you how best to either dispose of it or recycle it.

The authority and therefore council taxpayers have to pay to have waste taken away for landfill, but the council is paid for the food waste it sends for processing into fertiliser and energy.

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