![does cardboard decompose does cardboard decompose](https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/hubfs/RoadRunner_January2019/Images/New_DecompositionClock-1080x675.jpg)
There’s a good chance the number of boxes will continue to increase as time goes on, so what can you do about it? Well, the phrase “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” is somewhat cliché, but it has never been more true today.Īssuming that you purchase a lot from Amazon, reducing is out of question unless you change your purchasing habits. If you’re like me and order from Amazon, then it’s likely you have several boxes lying around somewhere in your house. Sawdust composts faster than shavings (but can block aeration if too much is added), which are easier than wood chips which compost faster than a whole branch.Amazon ships approximately two and a half billion packages a year, making it over thirteen million packages per day. When trying to compost wood - shred and chop as small as possible - surface area will determine the speed of decomposition. Large volumes will also need extra nitrogen - so have chicken poo or blood bone meal on hand.Īll wood (lignin) is harder and slower to compost. Mix large amounts (>10 litres) into easy to compost food waste to avoid them forming a matted thick layer which will prevent airflow. For fast results, ensure leaves are shredded. Higher temperature allows addition in HOTBIN, but again add sparingly. It will compost far more slowly than food, grass and most other wastes, so do expect it to be present in final compost – normally as blobs of very compressed paper. If you do use, ensure sheets are torn or scrunched up. These are best recycled in your paper collection waste. The paper is made from small wood fibres not cellulose fibres per office paper and corrugated card. This is low cost paper – the expensive lignin removal stage is not undertaken. Shred or tear up - large sheets will block airflow - please do not pre-soak, this must be added dry. Sprinkle in little and often - thick layers will quickly get wet and form an impervious mush that prevents airflow.Ĭorrugated brown cardboard boxes, egg cartonsĬorrugated cardboard is highly processed and only 5-10% lignin remains.Ĭorrugated cardboard has the advantage of trapped air/air channels.
![does cardboard decompose does cardboard decompose](https://www.sciencebuddies.org/Files/4233/5/EnvSci_img083.jpg)
Cellulose is easy for bacteria to digest when compared to lignin. The caustic part of the Kraft paper pulping process removes lignin to leave only cellulose fibres. office, A4 copier, coffee filters, disposable nappies) To explain why, we need to look at the Kraft paper pulping process as illustrated in the table below: Speed (At 60°c) Newspaper and white A4 office paper decompose at very different speeds. It is easy to think ‘paper comes from wood, so all paper products will decompose at the same rate’- but this is not the case. If we assume the surface area is the same and the temperature is the same, the speed at which wood products compost is directly related to the amount of lignin contained in the wood.Ī hard wood decomposes slower than soft wood.
![does cardboard decompose does cardboard decompose](https://www.saveonenergy.com/assets/default/outreach/material-decomposition/material_decomp_2_weeks_35_years.jpeg)
We know that small pieces of wood with high surface areas will decompose faster than lumps – sawdust decomposes faster than shavings which compost faster than the original wood branch. All wood based materials like leaves, twigs, paper and card can be composted and will decompose over time spent steaming in the HOTBIN.