LONDON, 2014-10-29— /EPR Retail News/ — As Halloween approaches, Sainsbury’s launches a recycling special to help get customers composting. Sainsbury’s expects to sell just over one million pumpkins this week, as the spooky day looms. But once they’re carved, pumpkins are often thrown away – even though they are easily recycled.
This year, all pumpkins sold in Sainsbury’s will display information about how customers can recycle them locally through Recycle Now once the Halloween celebrations are over.
From Wednesday 29 October, customers in ten trial stores will also be able to bring their pumpkins back to store to be turned into energy by Sainsbury’s waste partners Biffa.
The collected pumpkins will join other food waste from Sainsbury’s in anaerobic digestion, being converted into energy which in some cases powers Sainsbury’s stores.
The scheme will not only help customers compost their pumpkins at ten locations, but also attract attention to council collections to get more customers across the country composting at home.
Sainsbury’s Head of Sustainability, Paul Crewe, said: “We know that lots of people will be buying a pumpkin this Halloween – but what happens after we’ve carved it?
“There’s nothing more gruesome than a pumpkin past its best – so we want to make sure that once the spooky festivities are over we’re helping customers to get rid of their pumpkins in the right way.”
Sainsbury’s unsold pumpkins are already donated or sent to zoos.
The scheme is the latest in a series of recycling ideas generated by Sainsbury’s colleagues – including Easter egg recycling and Christmas card recycling.
Notes to Editors
Information on how to recycle pumpkins – including local authority composting facilities via the Recycle Now website – will be displayed with pumpkins on sale in Sainsbury’s stores.
Pumpkin recycling points are available in the recycling areas of the following stores:
- Watford Dome Roundabout
- Letchworth
- Biggleswade
- Fairfield Park
- Wellingborough
- Kettering
- Weedon Road
- Kempston
- Huntingdon
- Hitchin
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