How to Compost Paper & Cardboard
To help keep, or make, your thumb green, try adding compost to soil. Compost is decomposed organic matter that can be made from branches, leaves, fruit, lawn clippings, paper and other degradable materials. The best recipe for compost is one-third nitrogen rich (such as fruit, veggies, egg shells and flowers) and two-thirds carbon rich (such as leaves, egg cartons, newsprint and straw). Composting, along with regular maintenance, helps your garden grow and cuts down on waste. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Compost bin
- Gloves
- Uncolored paper
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Grass clippings
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Flowers
- Leaves
- Pine needles
- Branches
- Dryer lint
- Manure
- Soil
- Composting fork
Instructions
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1
Choose a convenient location for your compost pile. This location needs good drainage and sunlight. Look for a location that allows water to run out of the bin and away from the compost.
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2
Collect composting ingredients, such as the ones in the Things You'll Need list. To ensure proper decomposition of paper and cardboard, shred uncolored paper and cut uncolored cardboard into small pieces. You can use a shredder or your hands to shred the paper, and you can use your hands or scissors to cut up the cardboard.
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3
Wearing gloves, place twigs and brush on the bottom of the bin.
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4
Add to the bin "green" ingredients such as fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, eggshells, tea leaves and bags, coffee grounds and filters and flowers.
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5
Layer twice as many "brown" ingredients such as leaves, pine needles, branches, dryer lint, paper and cardboard on top of the "green" ingredients.
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6
Add animal manure or soil on top of "brown" ingredients.
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7
Keep adding compost in layers, as directed in Steps 4 through 6, over time as you collect additional composting materials for as long as you want to create additional compost.
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8
To aerate, poke holes in the compost with a composting fork every few days.
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9
Keep the pile moist. Water if necessary.
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10
Turn the pile with a compost fork every few days and keep adding more materials.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not use colored paper.
Do not use any ingredients treated with pesticides and herbicides.
Add earthworms to speed up decomposition and mix materials.
Cover exposed food matter with dried leaves or grass to cut down on pests.
Using meats, fish, animal products, oils, bones and fatty foods will cause a foul odor and can attract pests.
References
- Photo Credit Paul Viant/Stockbyte/Getty Images
