Bedford Borough Council is encouraging residents to enjoy Halloween while reducing food waste, reusing costumes and making safer choices around candles, decorations and batteries.
Residents are being asked to consider no-carve pumpkin decorations and make the most of pumpkin flesh in soups, muffins, pasta dishes, and roasting the seeds. Unavoidable food waste, including leftovers, peelings, eggshells, bread, meat and dairy, can be placed in the weekly food waste collection.
After Halloween, remove all candles, wax, stickers and decorations from carved pumpkins. Use or freeze the flesh if it can be eaten, then cut the any leftover pumpkin into smaller pieces and place it in the food waste bin.
Reuse or swap dressing-up clothes, look for second-hand costumes at charity shops or make outfits from materials already at home. Keep costumes, wigs, capes and decorations away from candles, fires, and other naked flames. Battery-operated LED candles are safer for pumpkins and displays.
Batteries from Halloween decorations, lights and toys must never go in any household bin. If these items are broken and cannot be reused, check for batteries before they go in the bin. Put used household batteries in a clear, sealed plastic bag on top of a black-lidded or orange-lidded bin on collection day. Do not put batteries inside the bin.
Councillor Nicky Gribble, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said, “Halloween is a time for fun, creativity and family traditions. A few small changes can help food go further, save money and reduce waste. Painting a pumpkin, using its flesh in a recipe, reusing a costume and choosing LED lights are simple ways to make celebrations safer and more sustainable. Please remove candles and decorations from unwanted pumpkins, cut them up and put them in your food waste bin. Thank you to everyone already using the weekly service and helping create a cleaner, greener Bedford Borough.”
Families taking part in trick-or-treating are encouraged to knock only at homes displaying a lit pumpkin or Halloween sign. Children should stay with responsible adults, take care near roads and check treats before eating them.
Residents can find food waste guidance, information about their bins, and check collection days at www.bedford.gov.uk/BinsAndRecycling