How to Use Paper in Compost

Compost your paper instead of throwing it away.

Many items other than leaves and grass can be added to your compost bin. Nearly all types of paper can be composted. In fact, paper is great for the bin during months when you are not adding as many dried leaves. Compost bins work most efficiently when they have a mixture of the garden "green" items and "brown" items, such as paper and cardboard. If you add paper to your compost bin, and you recycle other items, you may have very little trash left for the landfill.

Things You'll Need

• Junk mail
• Magazines
• Shredded paper
• Milk cartons
• Non-Styrofoam take-out containers
• Paper coffee cups
• Cereal packets and boxes
• Tea bags
• Paper egg cartons
• Paper plates
• Used muffin papers
• Paper cores
• Tissue boxes
• Paper napkins and towels
• Paper bags
• Tissues
• Newspaper
• Packaging materials
• Paper vacuum cleaner bags

Instructions

1. 

   Magazines can be used in your compost bin.

   Shred magazines and catalogs by hand and add to your compost bin. Add junk mail and bill stubs after they have been put through the shredder. Compost paper that has been shredded, even copy paper that has been printed with ink. Do not place envelopes with a plastic window in the bin, since plastic is not compostable.

2. 

   Place paper take-out containers in your compost bin.

   Gather food containers such as milk cartons, non-Styrofoam take-out containers and paper coffee cups. There is no need to rinse them out; food scraps are beneficial to the composting process. Add cereal boxes, oatmeal packets and old tea bags. You can also compost paper plates and used muffin papers, as long as they contain no plastic.

3. 

   Unroll paper tubes to compost.

   Collect paper towel and toilet paper cores, and tear them so they are not tubular. Add broken-down tissue boxes and place in the bin. Use paper napkins and paper towels in the compost bin, if they have not been contaminated with cleaning solutions or chemicals. Shred old paper bags and compost these as well.

4. 

   Non-viral or bacterial tissues can be composted.

   Place tissues that were used for allergies in your compost. Leave out tissues that were used for a viral or bacterial infection. Although viruses don't survive long, it is not known how they may affect the compost.

5. 

   Old newspaper can bulk up the contents of your compost.

   Add newspaper to the compost bin. This includes shredded newspaper used to line the cages of small pets or birds. The organic matter helps break down other materials.

6. 

   Styrofoam peanuts are not compostable.

   Save packaging materials, such as box filler and the box itself, to add to your bin. Torn or cut up, this type of material will add beneficial bulk to the compost. Do not add Styrofoam peanuts.

7. Add paper vacuum cleaner bags, and the contents, to your compost bin.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn your compost occasionally so it is aerated and the ingredients are mixed together.

References

• WebEcoist; 22 Things You Didn't Know You Could Compost; Gerri L. Elder
• UCSF - Campus Life Services: How to Use the Composting Basket
• DorsetForYou: Recycling - Can You Do More?
• Garden Organic: How to Make Compost
• Planet Green; 75 Things You Can Compost, But Thought You Couldn't; Colleen Vanderlinden; 2007