Amber Valley Borough Council is encouraging local residents to make the most of their pumpkins this Halloween!
Every year over one million pumpkins are sold across the UK during the Halloween festive period. The vast majority of these are made into Jack O’ Lanterns for the Halloween celebrations, before being discarded in the kitchen bin and ending up on a landfill site. Here they break down and produce methane – a greenhouse gas – plus other pollutants which can sometimes seep into streams and rivers.
But Amber Valley residents can do their bit to help the environment by composting their pumpkins once Halloween is over.
Councillor Jack Brown MBE, Cabinet Member for Clean and Green at Amber Valley Borough Council said: “Composting your pumpkin this Halloween is a great way to minimise the waste you place in your wheeled bin and protect the environment by turning organic waste into a valuable soil conditioner for your garden. And, as Halloween celebrations are generally a family affair, it’s a great way of teaching younger members of the family the importance of minimising waste and home composting. I hope everyone in Amber Valley has a safe and happy Halloween.”
If you decide you don’t want pumpkin for dinner you can compost the pumpkin flesh and seeds, plus the shell once the lantern has served its purpose. And if you don’t have a home composter then autumn is a great time of year to order one.
Amber Valley Borough Council has teamed up with Derbyshire County Council and the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to offer discounted compost bins to all of our residents. You can order your bargain compost bins online at www.recyclenow.com/compost or call 08450770757.
Ends.
News release issued by Lisa Garnham, Lisa Garnham, PR and Communications Manager, at Amber Valley Borough Council, telephone 01773 841655.
If you would like further information regarding recycling or home composting please contact Paul Pearce-Burton on 01773 570222 ext 2532 or email
paul.pearce-burton@ambervalley.gov.uk
Notes for editors:
The bins are on offer for:
£8 for a 220 litre bin (H90cm x D74cm).
£10 for a 330 litre bin (H100cm x D80cm).
Prices include home delivery. People should allow 28 working days from receipt of order for the bins to be delivered.
A Kitchen Caddy priced at £2 is also available when a bin is ordered (limited one per household). Please note prices are valid until December 2007, and this offer is limited to three bins per household.
