JANE: Can you compost cardboard? Yes, you certainly can and certainly don't waste your toilet rolls. Ideally what you should do is dunk it in some water so it goes soft. You can then shred it up and that will compost very, very easily.
Cardboard in the compost heap
Roughly torn into pieces cardboard will rot down well in the compost heap so long as it is mixed in with greens and not layered. Corrugated cardboard works even better because the corrugations hold it open until they decompose.
? Start your compost pile or compost bin with a 4-inch layer of soaked and/or shredded cardboard and paper. Place these alongside other high-carbon materials (which in composting circles are known as "browns"); such as dead leaves, ash or straw.
In more typical garden conditions — when a piece of cardboard is used as mulch or specifically shredded and soaked to decompose efficiently — biodegradation occurs quickly, with the majority of cardboard completely broken down within three months.
Uncoated (not shiny) with no heavy dyes; unfortunately, that shiny cardboard is coated in plastic that can't be composted. Broken down; intact boxes take up valuable space in our trailer and require additional labor to break down. Free from tape or labels; these are also not compostable.
Garbage or Compost - Do Not Recycle.
Paper egg cartons can be composted after you remove any shiny paper labels. If you can't remove the label easily, simply compost the bottom of the carton and put the part with the label in your garbage. If you can't compost, put egg cartons in the garbage.
It is critical that all cardboard to be composted is broken into small pieces. Large pieces will not decompose as quickly. Also, soaking the cardboard in water with a bit of liquid detergent will help to speed up the decomposition process.
You can add soil or mulch on top to reinforce it, too. The cardboard will suppress the weeds and eventually break down into the soil, adding useful organic matter.
It's a great mulch, and prevents weeds from sprouting. Decomposing cardboard adds organic matter to the soil, improving your garden's drainage and boosting nutrient levels. Earthworms flock to the dark, moist, safe habitat cardboard provides, leaving behind a nutrient-rich layer of worm castings–free fertilizer!
Papter towel and toilet paper rolls can be recycled or composted! If you have a compost pail in the bathroom (which we recommend due to being able to compost tissues and cotton swaps with paper sticks), toilet paper rolls can go into the compost as well!
Let's just start out by saying: putting egg shells in your compost is okay; they are a rich source of calcium and other essential nutrients that plants need.
Using a garden chipper / shredder is instant and effective. It's instant because you can process your card immediately without any pre-treatment. And a good shredder makes very short work of your cardboard!
Can I place used paper towels, napkins, and tissue in my compost cart? Yes, absolutely. These items can be composted even if they are wet or stained with food, vegetable oil, or grease.
Orange peels are safe to add to your compost pile. Over time, as the citrus peels decompose, they add nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to your compost. Those are three of the most essential nutrients needed by plants.
Special instructions: Drain any excess liquid down the sink before composting filters and tea bags. Remove any staples from the tea bag before composting. Put nylon and other fabric-based tea bags into the garbage (tea leaves can be separated out for the compost).
It is important what type of cardboard you use in your landscape. Any cardboard that is not heavily printed, has no tape, no shiny finish, is unwaxed and plain brown is considered clean and okay to use.
Cardboard: a Biodegradable Alternative
A free, biodegradable alternative to landscape fabric is to use simple old cardboard. The idea is derived from the concept of sheet mulching. In permaculture, sheet mulching can be done to reclaim an area of land that might have been weedy or even covered with grass.
A loose, sandy soil with a slightly acidic soil pH is best. Cardboard palms in containers will grow well in a potting mix made for cacti and palms.
When you need compost quickly, a covered pile is the way to go. A covering holds heat in the pile, which helps the good bacteria to work more efficiently. The cover effectively speeds up the process, shaving weeks (and even months) off the time required to produce finished compost. Kill pests.
Compost shouldn't be kept wet; it should be kept damp. The recommended moisture content of about 50% reflects the idea that compost should not be too wet or too dry.
Start with a base layer of twigs, mulch or old potting mix to encourage air circulation and provide drainage. Follow with layers of green and brown material — say garden clippings and kitchen scraps, then leaves and wet paper.
Banana peels are a great ingredient for your compost or worm farm, adding lots of nutrients to the organic recycling process.
Your vacuum cleaner sucks up mainly organic matter like breadcrumbs, dead skin particles, sand, and dirt, all of which are organic, and perfectly fine for composting.
In short, yes you can compost bread… but it depends on a few factors, in particular what kind of compost setup you're using. Bread is an organic material, and all organic materials should be able to go into your compost.