Halloween x Composting — A Gourd Match!
Unconventional stories from the community behind Canada’s transition towards a sustainable, food-conscious future

Can you guess when the greatest number of composting-related Google searches take place? Yes — that’s right, Halloween. Year after year, landfills accumulate with sad, slouching pumpkins that were so delicately carved and decorated. It really gives the holiday season a bad reputation, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Being the food waste fighting ninja that you are, you already know that eating “ugly” produce is only part of the battle when it comes to reducing waste in our lives. What we do with our vegetable peels, scraps, and trimmings is just as important. So, it’s no surprise that all of us at FoodFund are huge fans of composting, as it is an easy way to turn what would be waste into fertile soil that helps grow more food. In an attempt to curb more waste this time of year, we’re going over some of the most common questions about composting! Let’s dive right in.
What is compost?
Compost is an organic fertilizer made from food scraps!
Why compost?
Wasting less food means closing the loop on the entire life cycle of food in our lives. 45% of Canadian landfills are filled with fruits and veggies! Not only is this a missed opportunity to use our scraps to grow more food, it’s also bad for the planet. When food decomposes in a landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas far more powerful than CO2.
What goes into compost?
You can compost pretty much any of your food scraps, including produce past its prime, but also parts of the produce that you don’t eat like avocado pits, citrus peels, apple cores, etc. To decompose properly, you’ll need a balance of carbon-rich (brown) components and nitrogen-rich (green) components. Examples of brown components include newspaper, wood chips, dried leaves, and straw. Examples of green components include food scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, and other garden waste.
What do I need to compost?
If you’ve got a backyard, you have a lot of options! You can build a pile of your scraps (just be sure to water/rotate it periodically). If you want something less messy looking or more contained due to pest concerns, you can easily buy a composting bin or tumbler in a wide range of shapes and sizes.
What can I do if I don’t have a backyard?
If you’re living in an apartment complex or just don’t have space for a traditional compost pile, don’t sweat it! There are still options. If you want to get crafty, we love vermiculture, or worm composting bins. You can even make one yourself from buckets! You can also see if there is a community garden in your area and ask if you can bring your scraps to their compost pile.
Together, we can have a less wasteful Halloween!
Thank you for being a part of our community — without your support, we would not be able to make our impact. To learn about how you can switch to a more sustainable way to shop, head over to our website and check if we deliver to you!
