How to Dispose of Cardboard Boxes | Recycle Cardboard for Compost

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  • čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
  • ➪ Let me show you how to dispose of cardboard boxes and recycle cardboard for compost. Breakdown shipping boxes for recycling! Easy tip to reduce your curb side recycling and live a zero-waste lifestyle. Cardboard can increase your carbon to nitrogen ratio. Compost cardboard boxes and use a paper shredder to help speed up the process. Collect, store and prepare cardboard for your hot compost bin 365 days of the year.
    0:00 Intro
    0:24 Break It Down
    1:36 Why Cardboard?
    2:20 The Good Stuff
    3:00 Outro
    BUY: AmazonBasics 15-Sheet Cross Cut Paper Shredder
    ➪ amzn.to/3JRx2ND (CAN)
    ➪ amzn.to/3Nsa0zb (USA)
    This shredder actually works on cardboard!
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    ➪ Hi. I'm Laura and welcome to my Home and Garden channel. I find do-it-yourself solutions with the environment in mind. I show others how to garden and grow food, check-off outdoor home maintenance tasks and projects. Follow along!
    Disclaimer: lauracoteDIY is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
    #compost #composting #cardboard #lauracotediy
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Komentáře • 84

  • @lauracoteDIY
    @lauracoteDIY  Před 2 lety +1

    Learn more about composting at home ➪ czcams.com/play/PLSzBLqVSba6JOtoFZkEMVq1adPsFtpYUv.html

  • @earlshine453
    @earlshine453 Před 3 lety +36

    No need to cut and tear the cardboard when it's dry. Just soak the cardboard in water and tearing into pieces is supereasy. I don't mix, after six months I don't see any cardboard. I also use it when I set up a new raised bed lasagna style. Hope this helps. Greetings from Holland

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +2

      Yes I cut it so I can use it in compost, in new garden beds, line my compost for winter and layer new compost! So versatile! Thanks for watching!

    • @Imspcl65
      @Imspcl65 Před 3 lety +2

      Ty for the hint. Definitely soaking the careboards does help with breaking them...phew:)

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

      Absolutely!!

    • @winnoe
      @winnoe Před 2 lety +4

      I use cardboard for the "browns" in my compost and to absorb the decomposing "juices" of my compost tumbler to reduce the smell. If wet compost doesn't have enough browns, all the good stuff just washes out into the drains and doesn't stay in situ.
      Don't let it get wet.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 2 lety +1

      Personally cardboard always starts off dry in my compost! I have definitely used it to absorb stinky ‘mush’ in a wheel barrel of weeds and scraps I left too long in the rain haha balanced it out perfectly!

  • @Randy_Smith
    @Randy_Smith Před rokem +5

    great video. I used to spend spare time tearing cardboard into small pieces but have started using a paper shredder instead. I have a simple home office 10 sheet shredder that works like a charm. The finished product is light and fluffy which helps with keeping good airflow in my compost pile. For anyone who decides to use a shredder my advice is to shred for 5-10 minutes then shut it off and let it cool down for an hour or so. Also, make sure to lubricate the blades.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před rokem +1

      Great advice! I haven’t had to grease the blades yet but I have the liquid! I also do a lot of shredding. I like cardboard of all sizes for all uses!

    • @dontbanmebrodontbanme5403
      @dontbanmebrodontbanme5403 Před rokem +1

      I shred my cardboard as well. I was watching the NBA Finals yesterday on my iPad, while shredding cardboard! I'm actually considering getting a dedicated shredder just for compost!

  • @7Risen7Phoenix7
    @7Risen7Phoenix7 Před rokem +1

    I've been working in the produce department of the local grocery store for over a year, and luckily my boss is perfectly fine with me taking home any scraps and cardboard I can get my hands on (which is a bunch!!) when I need it for my dad's compost. I typically cut up the cardboard into small squares and put them into trash bags. (He sometimes needs full sheets to lay down to kill weeds/grass.). Whenever he needs greens, what I'm most able to collect are cabbage leaves and corn husks, followed by asparagus trimmings and bell pepper husks.
    The excitement my dad experiences when he's able to use his compost (both hot and old) for himself and his friends and neighbors is such joy for me......

  • @chriswhitley3283
    @chriswhitley3283 Před 2 lety +1

    I will have to get on that. Kinda what I figured. Second attempt at this. Had a shredder to shred the cardboard and was working on a big pile. Didn’t get far that time. New place and different method, but don’t have to worry about time this time. Happy composing.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 2 lety

      That’s great to hear! I just filled my bin with shredded materials as it’s now just starting to thaw. I’ve been collecting cardboard all winter. Good luck with your compost!

  • @starseedenergy996
    @starseedenergy996 Před 3 lety +4

    Thank you! You can also sheet mulch with it , Hard work to break it down like that though

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

      Yes, you can do so much in the garden with cardboard! It is easy to rip when wet, or with a shredder like I also have!

  • @Fidianboi
    @Fidianboi Před 2 lety +2

    Nice, good resource should not go to waste, I use a shredder...makes great compost.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 2 lety

      Thank you. I have since purchased a shredder!

  • @marcdb9974
    @marcdb9974 Před 3 lety +6

    It's easier to remove the tape and labels if you soak the cardboard in water first... it's also easier to rip it down to smaller pieces when it is wet. I just tear it down to large panels that fit in my wheelbarrow and fill it with water.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +1

      Awesome! Cardboard is great! Thanks for watching. I’ll have to try out some new soaking methods!

  • @CarisaStahl
    @CarisaStahl Před 6 měsíci +1

    I use a micro cut shredder for cardboard for composting and our worm bins. We are thinking that having the corrugation tubes go through the shredder horizontally will put less pressure on the shredder parts. I grow in buckets. Last spring I layered shredded cardboard and weeds in 5 gallon buckets then topped it off with about 6 to 10 inches of soil to plant in. At the end of the season the weeds and micro cut shredded cardboard were totally broken down into soil

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 6 měsíci

      czcams.com/users/shortsc0-Vn-wHm-4?si=5GRugZlFUUKt6DgQ I also love my shredder!

  • @clarissamiles
    @clarissamiles Před 3 lety +7

    Thanks! We're starting our first compost pile and have soooooooooooo much cardboard:)

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

      Perfect!

    • @sybilmiller5805
      @sybilmiller5805 Před 3 lety +1

      @@lauracoteDIY aaaaaaaaaaa!!

    • @stevehorn646
      @stevehorn646 Před 3 lety +1

      How much? My compost is 4x8x4 feet

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

      Do you mean the size? This is one of the bins I have. enviroworld.ca/environmental-products/freegarden-earth and I also have this one www.orbiscorporation.com/en-us/products/environmental-recycling-and-waste/compost-bins/npl-300-earth-machine#.YLaaWSWs-Ec

    • @stevehorn646
      @stevehorn646 Před 3 lety

      @@lauracoteDIY ok so small. I'm looking at about ten 4x4x8 bins

  • @vivianhudacek1556
    @vivianhudacek1556 Před 3 lety +1

    Thanks!

  • @chucksix6231
    @chucksix6231 Před 2 lety +4

    🍄You can use the cardboard also in place of the wood chips in your mushroom grow video. 🍄

  • @cristianapricop5819
    @cristianapricop5819 Před 3 lety +9

    SOAK it in hot water overnight
    it will break in no time - with no work

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +2

      That’s a great idea for the compost! I use cardboard for many things around the yard!

    • @stevehorn646
      @stevehorn646 Před 3 lety +1

      Great idea. Silly me

  • @SeattlePioneer
    @SeattlePioneer Před 7 měsíci +1

    I just started experimenting with adding cardboard to my compost. I already figured out that soaking the cardboard first is a good idea.
    Getting tape off is still a nuisance.
    Some good ideas in the comments. So far, I tear up the compost, but don't shred it into small pieces as illustrated in the video.
    One thing I've noticed---- there is a LOT of cardboard that can be had for composting!

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 5 měsíci

      Yes! I read that worms like to eat the tape? I’m experimenting more as well with the cardboard. Have you started to use a paper shredder yet?

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer Před 5 měsíci

      No, and I'm not going to spend money for such a device, either.
      Indeed, I'm soaking big pieces of carboard in a rainbarrel, then adding them on top of the pile. I'm noticing threads of fungus or whatever start growing in a matter of days, which is presumably begi nning decomposition of the cardboard.
      I'm thinking about how to punch holes into the piles and feeding water into the middle of the pile, where it tends to dry out. Anyway, it's the only thing I can "grow" during the winter around here.
      I have some small lettuce plants that survived cold temperatures fown to about 14F for a few nights, and I have a few lettuce plants in containers I brought indoors to protect them By April 1st I expect to plant those to kick off the lettuce season.
      I'm also planning to use scrap 2x6 to build a rectangle that can be filled with compost in the shade along about June 1st or so. During the summer, lettuce gets too much sun and starts bolting, so I'm hoping that lettuce planted in the shade will be protected.
      I've also heated my house almost entirely with scrap wood as usual this winter. It was only on those couple of very cold (for Seattle) nights that I set the gas furnace to provide some heat when the wood fire finally burned out overnight. As a retiree, heating with wood givs m e things to do, and I'm a firebug at heart. Saving some money is an additional bonus.
      I've also been practicing cooking IN my wood stove, right on the hot coals of the fire. The main secret to that is taking food out before it burns. Again, I find it entertaining and something to do.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 5 měsíci

      @SeattlePioneer if it a not frozen, could you use the end of a broom stick to punch deep into the pile? If you don’t want to buy an aerator. I use a pitchfork.

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer Před 5 měsíci

      Things froze upo for a week or so here in Seattle, but they have thawed out now.
      I used a piece of 3/4" pipe to punch holes into the pile yesterday, then poured water in the holes to provide moisture to the interior of the pile, and alsdo to ventilate it with fresh air.
      The big pieces of cardboard I had been using were well saturated with the water I had soaked them in and rainwater, and they were easy to punch through.
      I figure that will get things cooking.

  • @al1679
    @al1679 Před 2 lety +2

    I dunk my cardboard in a rain barrel and tare it apart,its soggy and decomposes faster in the compost bin.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 2 lety

      Absolutely! I also use a few water methods, shredding, tearing etc anything that does the job! Thanks for watching. Happy composting.

  • @kylecrusch2804
    @kylecrusch2804 Před 3 lety +1

    No need to drape the worms love it

    • @kylecrusch2804
      @kylecrusch2804 Před 3 lety +1

      No need to pull the tape off, the worms will eat it

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

      oh good to know! thx for watching!

  • @LoseWithLos
    @LoseWithLos Před 2 lety +2

    I been seeing that there are shredders strong enough for cardboard. That’s what i wanna get cuz the cutting process takes so long, or maybe I’m just lazy 😅

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 2 lety +1

      It’s true, I also have a shredder that does a lot! czcams.com/users/shorts5LHjOlmiClE?feature=share sometimes I need large pieces I use for other things too!

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer Před 5 měsíci

      I use big pieces of cardboard to layer my piles. They get soaked in my rain barrel before being layered on top of the pile, and then get hit by rainwater. Yesterday I punched holes in the piles with a piece of 3/4" pipe, then poured water inside. The holes should also ventilate the pile. That was easy to do.
      I notice that after a few days, white tendrils of fungus are growing on the sheets of cardboard.
      The bottom line is that I don't think you need to tear up or shred cardboard to get it to compost efficiently.

  • @danahsutton101
    @danahsutton101 Před 8 měsíci +1

    I run cardboard through a big paper schreader.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 8 měsíci

      I also love my shredder too! czcams.com/users/shortsc0-Vn-wHm-4?si=D9YgNch21lAoZwm3

  • @lauracoteDIY
    @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

    Tell me how you prefer to break down cardboard to go into the compost!

  • @iraqiadam3697
    @iraqiadam3697 Před 3 lety

    Is this something healthy as a substitute for leaves because I have a lot of it and am afraid it will be harmful

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +2

      Cardboard is an excellent source of carbon, breaks down fast and is biodegradable. I never use anything shiny or coated with plastic. Anything that breaks down easily when put in water is organic enough for me! Thanks for watching and try it out!

    • @iraqiadam3697
      @iraqiadam3697 Před 3 lety +2

      @@lauracoteDIY Thanks for the reply and I will give it a try

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer Před 5 měsíci

      Ummm. I am new to composting cardboard. My bias at this time is to strip off plastic tape, but to compost gaily printed wood based packaging. If that composts, fine. If they don't break down, I will simply pick that material out and dispose of it and not use it again.

  • @joehomer4421
    @joehomer4421 Před 3 lety +2

    Why go to all that trouble? If you have the space just pile crushed cartons in a heap outside and give a good hosing every once in a while.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +1

      It’s not much trouble for me. I use it as a source of carbon throughout the year when needed. I add it to my kitchen scraps as well as other projects! I also have a paper shredder that works wonders for cardboard. Thanks for watching.

  • @Oswald24x7
    @Oswald24x7 Před rokem +1

    get a shredder that can handle cardboard

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před rokem

      Oh I have one now that can handle a lot! However sometimes I don’t need it shredded and have pieces for other needs like lining garden beds etc thanks for watching

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před rokem

      This is my shredder
      czcams.com/users/shortsc0-Vn-wHm-4?feature=share

  • @likitasac7843
    @likitasac7843 Před 3 lety +1

    why dont you put in the water first

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety

      Yes great idea but I don’t want all the cardboard in the compost at once. I also want to have pieces on hand for later and other projects also. Thanks for watching.

  • @alexisle7053
    @alexisle7053 Před rokem +1

    Why going thru so much work? I just put cardboard into a mini pool u know the plastic one for kids n pour water in. Soak a day n tear it while they r still wet

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před rokem +1

      I use it for many different purposes! Compost carbon, lining the bin for winter, garden beds etc it’s also satisfying haha but yes soak in water is always an option. I use a tote bin.

  • @Dermisc
    @Dermisc Před 3 lety +3

    Consider a shredder. That is way too much time spent on breaking down cardboard.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +1

      Oh I have a shredder but don’t always want to put into compost at once. I make different sizes to use as a compost liner for winter, into the bottom of my garden bed or when needed for compost etc I like to have cardboard around and cutting it is easy to store! Thanks for watching.

    • @SeattlePioneer
      @SeattlePioneer Před 5 měsíci

      Consider NOT using a shredder. I'm dunking in my rain barrel and layering large sheets on top of my pile. After it get hit by rain and is weak, I'm punching holes with a piece of 3/4" pipe all the way through the pile to ventilate it and pour water into the mass.
      That seems to be working fine with no shredding.

  • @loug2414
    @loug2414 Před 3 lety +2

    I only use cardboard from the USA and avoid China et al.

    • @lauracoteDIY
      @lauracoteDIY  Před 3 lety +1

      Cool. I just make sure it's all given a second use to reduce waste.

    • @tyronebrewster978
      @tyronebrewster978 Před 4 měsíci

      Are American more moral than Chinese.