ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) - Halloween has come and gone, but many people still have their pumpkins on display. However, after sitting outside for a while, these festive decorations can start to rot and decay. Even if your pumpkins are still looking good, this week's warm temperatures will likely accelerate the decay process. Unfortunately, this is a natural part of a flowering plant's life cycle, and there’s no way to extend their lifespan. “That process is that at some point, you know all plants flowering plants that produce a fruit and the pumpkin is a fruit because the seed is protected inside of the pumpkin eventually the fruit decay so that the seed can be scattered and start new plants,” says Marci Muller, who is the Horticulture Program Leader at Monroe County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Many people might consider simply tossing their pumpkins in the dumpster and forgetting about them. However, that’s actually one of the least responsible options. “It’s really not good to put material that’s gonna decay into the landfill because what happens is it breaks down in there in the process of that breakdown these fruits give off methane, gas, and that all gets trapped in the landfill and eventually percolates up,” says Muller. Even if your pumpkin is carved, there are still responsible ways to dispose of it, such as composting. “I’ve seen where people cut them in half and set them out with seed in them and use them as bird feeders the whole together for quite a while," says Muller. “ The other thing is they can be donated to places like the zoo or other places where there’s large animals that would feed on it.”  Even if the pumpkin is whole, you can utilize it for all those options and even more! “If it’s a solid pumpkin, hasn’t been carved out obviously you could do all those things and you can scoop out the center, roast the seeds and then use the pumpkin for making you know pumpkin pie,” Muller says. Pumpkins are an excellent source of vitamins and fiber, benefiting not just humans but also plants and animals. This is why Muller emphasizes the importance of properly disposing of your pumpkins—they can be repurposed for so much more.