More than 1 billion of pounds of pumpkins are wasted each year during the Halloween season, according to the Department of Energy, which comes at a cost for the environment. Your jack-o’-lantern takes a lot of fertilizers and energy just to sit on your front porch for a few days, and then it hits the landfill. After Halloween this year, avoid food waste and consider other uses for your pumpkin instead of letting it waste away in a dump. Here are just a few ways to put your pumpkin to use this year. 

Make a pumpkin planter

A hollowed out pumpkin is a great gardening opportunity. Just fill your jack-o’-lantern with soil, add your plant of choice, and place the pumpkin in a hole in the ground.

The pumpkin will serve as a great fertilizing alternative for your plant and you will be composting at the same time. For more detailed advice on making a pumpkin planter of your own, look here.

DIY face mask

Pumpkins are rich in vitamins, so why let them go to waste? Pumpkin face masks are simple to make and are great for your skin’s health.

To make your face mask all you need is just two tablespoons of pumpkin puree, half a tablespoon of milk, and half a tablespoon of honey. This mask is best suited for whole, uncarved pumpkins.

There are two options when making your puree. You can make a restaurant-ready puree and use the leftovers to make yourself a treat by following these directions. If you don’t have that kind of time, just scrape out the insides of your pumpkin (sans seeds) and beat it into a pulp.

Mix your three ingredients and then you are ready to enjoy all of the vitamins and antioxidants your mask has to offer.

Make a snack

If gardening or DIY cosmetics are not your thing, there are hundreds of pumpkin recipes available for every skill level. These recipes should be used with pumpkins that have been left whole.

Consider making some pumpkin pancakes. All it takes is your average pancake recipe, just add some pumpkin puree — you can even use leftovers from your face mask. Check out this pumpkin pancake recipe.

If you are looking for a more savory snack, roasted pumpkin seeds are a simple option as well. Just add some olive oil and/or butter to coat and sprinkle of seasoned salt to your pumpkin seeds and put them in a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven for about an hour. A variety of seasoning options can be found here.

This story was updated with new links and images on Oct. 28, 2025.