THEY may be fun and create the spookiest of atmospheres for Halloween, but used and discarded "Jack o'lanterns" are regarded a "frightful" waste by some.

With the scariest night in the calendar almost upon us and an estimated five million pumpkins being sold in the days leading up to Halloween, Gloucestershire’s Joint Waste Team is encouraging residents to recycle their carved lanterns once the celebrations are over.

Pumpkins make an excellent addition to a home compost heap but anyone living in one of the five Gloucestershire local authority areas offering a weekly food waste collection service, can easily recycle their leftover pumpkins at the kerbside.

Residents need only remove candles and tea lights before carefully cutting up the pumpkin and placing it inside their food waste caddy.

Cotswold residents can also opt to put it into their garden waste bin if they have subscribed to the weekly collection service.

With the average carved pumpkin weighing 5kgs and with one in five properties now purchasing a pumpkin as part of the annual festivities, the Joint Waste Team believes that by residents recycling this year’s pumpkins up to 180 tonnes of waste could be diverted from landfill; a weight equivalent to 23 double decker buses.

Recipes can be found on the national Love Food Hate Waste website (www.lovefoodhatewaste.com) for those wanting to try something new in the kitchen,

Gloucestershire residents can still purchase compost bins for the subsidised rate of £8.49 for a 220litre bin and £9.99 for a 330litre bin. Both bins are available to purchase on a ‘buy one get one half price’ basis, so why not share with a friend? To order a bin simply call 0844 571 4444 or buy online at: www.recycleforgloucestershire.com. A £5.99 delivery charge applies.