Alistair Hardaker
Image: Arlo Cook (age 5) at the National Museum of Rural Life. Photo © Andy Catlin
East Kilbride museum asks visitors to donate used Halloween pumpkins to reduce food waste
The National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride is asking the public to drop off their carved pumpkins after Halloween this weekend.
The museum is collecting pumpkins and turnips from visitors between 1st and 9th November to feed rare breed animals on its historic working farm.
The initiative aims to address the environmental impact of seasonal food waste. Around 18,000 tonnes of uneaten pumpkins are discarded annually according to a 2024 report by Waste Managed.
Additional pumpkins left in gardens, woods or farmland can pose risks to wildlife including hedgehogs, the museum said.
Visitors can deposit their Halloween pumpkins at a designated donation point inside the museum building, where farmers will collect them to feed to the site’s pigs and sheep.
The museum is home to rare breed livestock including Tamworth pigs, sheep, Clydesdale horses, Highland cattle, hens and an Ayrshire dairy herd.
““Thousands of pumpkins end up in landfill each year, a real Halloween horror! Donating pumpkins for pigs is a small step towards reducing the truly spooky environmental impact of food waste. The squash also provide a nutritious farmyard treat, and of course our sheep love neeps too,” said Vicky McLean, general manager of the National Museum of Rural Life.
The museum stipulates that donated pumpkins and turnips must be free of paint, wax or plastic decorations, and visitors should not attempt to feed the animals directly. The site operates seven days a week from 10am to 5pm.
