Under embargo until 00:01 Monday 10 October 2022
The True Horror Story of Halloween: Brits will throw away £32.6 million worth of uneaten pumpkins this Halloween! •
New research predicts over half of the 39.9 million1 set to be bought this Halloween will go to waste
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That’s 22.2 million2 pumpkins – costing the nation £32.6 million!
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Environmental charity Hubbub is calling on the nation to save their money, help the planet and #EatYourPumpkin this Halloween
New research from environmental charity Hubbub has revealed a terrifying 22.2 million pumpkins are predicted to go to waste this year, despite food bills being at an all-time high and more pressure than ever on households to make food to go further. The survey of 2,000 UK residents, reveals that 56% of pumpkins bought for carving last Halloween were not eaten, meaning this year Brits are expected to throw away more than £32million worth of pumpkins!³ In response to the cost-of-living crisis, a third of households said they are taking measures to make their food go further and 26% have already started batch cooking to save on energy bills. Whilst nearly 1 in 5 (18%) of people don’t actually know how to cook with pumpkin, this cheap and nutritious vegetable is perfect for batch cooking and can actually be turned into wide range of meals. Now, in its 9th year, the Eat Your Pumpkin campaign today launches to inspire people to turn their pumpkins into something delicious and help reduce the environmental impact of this increasingly popular celebration. Ellen Rutherford, Head of Food at Hubbub said: “Pumpkins are more than just a Halloween decoration. They are a cheap, nutritious and versatile source of food, which can go a long way and are great for feeding a crowd. Even if a pumpkin is labelled a ‘carving pumpkin’, it is still perfectly edible. Every pumpkin eaten is a step towards tackling the 22 million pumpkins predicted to go to waste this Halloween and Hubbub has plenty of resources to show you how.”