navajo
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HOW LONG IS THIS STUFF GOING TO TAKE???

Good day all! Hope all of your gardens are doing well!

I have a quick question. My second attempt at using a compost tumbler seems to have gone somewhat better (drilled a LOT of extra holes to let the moisture out). BUT, the dang pepsi 12 pack boxes I put in there MONTHS ago still look good as new! I tore them all into approx 2" x 2" squares before adding.

I have read all these forums and researched on the internet about using them and some say "Sure" and some say "NO WAY". But they are in there now!

I am building a 3 bay compost bin out of pallets this weekend and will be adding the "stuff" from the tumbler to that as I build it up but was wondering just how long before these things decay? I am going to spray them with Alfalfa/molasses compost tea as I add them to the big pile to see if that speeds things up.

So, anyone else compost these things and if so, how long do they hang around?

Thanks and HAPPY GARDENING!

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Kisal
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I do, but I run them through my crosscut paper shredder before adding them to the compost bin. :)

navajo
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Kisal wrote:I do, but I run them through my crosscut paper shredder before adding them to the compost bin. :)
CHEATER!!! :P

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Kisal
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Yep! A bit on the lazy side, too! :lol:

navajo
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Kisal wrote:Yep! A bit on the lazy side, too! :lol:
HEY! Nothing wrong with that!

I have a German Shepherd pup that likes to shred paper. Maybe I'll toss all the boxes in a room with her for an hour or 2. Whadaya think? They'll be shredded and wet from the drool! :lol:

Actually, my wife has a pretty heavy duty shredder... Hmmmm. She DOES work on the weekends so IF I don't blow it up, she'd never know! :twisted:

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Kisal
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navajo wrote:
Kisal wrote:I have a German Shepherd pup that likes to shred paper. Maybe I'll toss all the boxes in a room with her for an hour or 2. Whadaya think? They'll be shredded and wet from the drool! :lol:
My Lab likes to do that, too, but I don't like having to pick it up off the floor. Another side effect of that 'lazy' gene I have.
Actually, my wife has a pretty heavy duty shredder... Hmmmm. She DOES work on the weekends so IF I don't blow it up, she'd never know! :twisted:
The specs on my shredder say it can handle 8 sheets of paper at once. I figure one layer of that thin cardboard is about the same. :wink:

rot
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..
The diet pepsi twelve packs I'm familiar with seem to have some kind of vapor barrier plastic included in the packaging. If they're using kyvlar or tyvlar or something like that it's kind of interesting in that it lets moisture pass only one way. They use it for houses so all the vapor passes out but can't pass in. It's plastic though and won't break down. In fact, the wrappers for the reams of office paper uses some kind of vapor barrier stuff and I have to remind people at work that it can't be recycled. Half the time they look at me like I'm crazy even though the recycle people put signs up by the recycle bins telling you you can't recycle that stuff. Kind of counter-intuitive that you can't recycle a paper wrapper with little recycle logos on it but you can't.

Some people think it's kind of cool. They will compost those plastic coated paper plates and enjoy coming back months layer to pull out a thin, round sheet of plastic with no paper plate left.

Otherwise cardboard seems to break down real slow for me so I just recycle that, um, stuff.

Watch and wait. If it doesn't work out, don't do that again. Not a major disaster.

to sense
..

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Kisal
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I guess it's a good thing I only use my compost on ornamentals. :D

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farmerlon
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Kisal wrote:Yep! A bit on the lazy side, too! :lol:
Nah, I think you're SMART, not lazy.
Smaller pieces of the cardboard means "more room at the table" for microbes. I think you're wise to shred papper and cardstock before adding it to the compost.

I also agree with other posters, that the "plasticized" paper items (magazines, etc...) should not be composted.

navajo
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rot wrote:..
The diet pepsi twelve packs I'm familiar with seem to have some kind of vapor barrier plastic included in the packaging. If they're using kyvlar or tyvlar or something like that it's kind of interesting in that it lets moisture pass only one way. They use it for houses so all the vapor passes out but can't pass in. It's plastic though and won't break down. In fact, the wrappers for the reams of office paper uses some kind of vapor barrier stuff and I have to remind people at work that it can't be recycled. Half the time they look at me like I'm crazy even though the recycle people put signs up by the recycle bins telling you you can't recycle that stuff. Kind of counter-intuitive that you can't recycle a paper wrapper with little recycle logos on it but you can't.

Some people think it's kind of cool. They will compost those plastic coated paper plates and enjoy coming back months layer to pull out a thin, round sheet of plastic with no paper plate left.

Otherwise cardboard seems to break down real slow for me so I just recycle that, um, stuff.

Watch and wait. If it doesn't work out, don't do that again. Not a major disaster.

to sense
..
Very interesting info. Yeah, I guess I'll just add it to the pile and see if the heat does anything to help (The tumbler never even gets warm unless the sun is out). If not, I'm sure it'll be easy to screen out when I get ready to use the compost.

Thanks!



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