Can you really compost cardboard?

Yes!
Anything that was once living will compost. Cardboard is made from paper pulp that comes from trees and so is perfect for composting.

What kind of paper and card can be composted?

If you already recycle your newspapers don't compost them. But there is so much paper and card unsuitable for recycling that ends up in your rubbish, when it could be composted.

Things to include are old envelopes (remove the plastic window first), ripped up cereal packets, toilet rolls, cardboard egg boxes, soiled tissues and paper from a document shredder.

Avoid frozen food packaging and cartons used to hold liquids, as these tend to be lined with a thin film of plastic or foil that cannot break down naturally. If you are not sure, put it in anyway – you can always fish it back out and bin it later on.

Are the inks safe?

In the old days inks contained toxic heavy metals such as lead, and so there is a widespread belief that inks are poisonous. They are not anymore, however. In fact the heavy metal content is lower than in most garden soils. Therefore by adding paper and cardboard you are actually diluting any existing heavy metals that occur naturally in your soil.

Glossy paper and card are also suitable to compost as it is the addition of clay, a natural substance, which makes paper glossy. But it can take a little longer to breakdown, so you could rip it into smaller bits before screwing it up. Try not to put flat sheets of paper into your compost bin, as they will prevent air from circulating in your heap.

Will it take longer?

The process will be a little slower than traditional hot composting, but what’s the hurry?

Your compost will not get really hot, but don’t worry about it. If this fact makes you fear that certain weeds won’t be killed but will spread if you add them to the compost bin, you can instead put them into a black bag with a few holes in it and stash them behind the shed for a year. They will partially rot down and can then be safely added to your compost bin.