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shredding cardboard

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  • 24-02-2019 6:31pm
    #1
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭


    Anyone recommend a shredder/mulcher that works with cardboard?
    Tried a standard garden shredder and it jammed pretty quickly.
    Brown boxes from deliveries etc to be converted to compost. Doing it by hand is a little onerous after a while.


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    #2
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,708 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    If it's of any use to you, I just rip the boxes in large chunks and stick them in the compost bin as they are, then I cover them with fruit and vegetable scraps or bits of cut grass - the humidity is more than enough to break the cardboard down.


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    #3
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,740 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    New Home wrote: »
    If it's of any use to you, I just rip the boxes in large chunks and stick them in the compost bin as they are, then I cover them with fruit and vegetable scraps or bits of cut grass - the humidity is more than enough to break the cardboard down.

    Interesting. Any idea if most paper reasonably compostable or does the bleach and any other chemicals used in processing a toxin? Only cardboard I currently use this way is as a weed break on raised beds, where I put a couple of layers of cardboard down over the winter with a thin layer of soil on top.


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    #4
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,708 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    I wouldn't use coloured paper, or paper with oil-based inks (like newspapers), or colour prints, or empty pizza boxes (which, apparently, have been treated to be non-stick) but plain brown "undulated" cardboard is grand, and so is "pulp" grey cardboard. I only use larger boxes that may not fit in the recycling bin, though, it's still much better to recycle as much as you can, especially if it's high quality brown cardboard with a high cellulose content (it looks much smoother).


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    #5
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,058 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    All my cardboard goes down on beds, although in the competition between online shopping and gardening, shopping is currently running a fair bit ahead. :rolleyes:


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    #6
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    Lumen wrote: »
    All my cardboard goes down on beds, although in the competition between online shopping and gardening, shopping is currently running a fair bit ahead. :rolleyes:
    I read that cardboard mulch on top of soil disimproves oxygen within it. The reqson you might find a lot of worms near the top with such a setup is like when it rains - they are coming uo for air. Dunno if this is accurate or not.


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    #7
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    New Home wrote: »
    If it's of any use to you, I just rip the boxes in large chunks and stick them in the compost bin as they are, then I cover them with fruit and vegetable scraps or bits of cut grass - the humidity is more than enough to break the cardboard down.
    It is useful to know that big chunks will work, thanks.


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    #8
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,708 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    I thought they were coming up to eat and because of the dampness. It's pure cellulose, AFAIK, so it shouldn't be much different to leaves, etc.

    I think they control weeds because they cut off the light.


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    #9
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,058 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Francesca Massive Vacuum wrote: »
    I read that cardboard mulch on top of soil disimproves oxygen within it. The reqson you might find a lot of worms near the top with such a setup is like when it rains - they are coming uo for air. Dunno if this is accurate or not.
    Yeah, but I don't think there's any way of stopping weeds (other than outcompeting them with ground cover plants) that doesn't make make growing conditions worse, since that's the point.


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    #10
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users Posts: 68,129 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    Make a rough bench with heavy (3/4'' Ply) top and get a good machete and chop it up first for the compost bin. Good Saturday morning workout!


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    #11
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    FrancieBrady wrote: »
    Make a rough bench with heavy (3/4'' Ply) top and get a good machete and chop it up first for the compost bin. Good Saturday morning workout!
    Interesting idea though plywood dust isn’t good to inhale


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    #12
    FrancieBrady
    Registered Users Posts: 68,129 ✭✭✭✭FrancieBrady


    Francesca Massive Vacuum wrote: »
    Interesting idea though plywood dust isn’t good to inhale

    No dust at all. And you might be thinking of MDF. A large tree block would do as well.


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    #13
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    Anyone use a domestic paper shredder for this? Or find a cardboard shredder suitable for domestic use?


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    #14
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,058 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Francesca Massive Vacuum wrote: »
    Anyone use a domestic paper shredder for this? Or find a cardboard shredder suitable for domestic use?

    Yes. I have a couple of office paper shredders and used them to create bedding for the chickens. The cheap one was useless and the expensive one was OK.


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    #15
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    Lumen wrote: »
    Yes. I have a couple of office paper shredders and used them to create bedding for the chickens. The cheap one was useless and the expensive one was OK.
    Cool thanks. Do you know the model? How many sheets of paper is it specced for?


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    #16
    secman
    Registered Users Posts: 6,274 ✭✭✭secman


    Best way I find to break up cardboard for the compost bin is literally to leave it out in the rain, when it's properly soggy, it tears quite easily and then as its damp anyways perfect for the compost bin. Simples and works every time no matter how heavy gauge it is.


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    #17
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Don't worry about modern inks used in non glossy packaging they are all biodegradable. Even the bleach for newsprint is fine.


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    #18
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,058 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Francesca Massive Vacuum wrote: »
    Cool thanks. Do you know the model? How many sheets of paper is it specced for?

    The crap one was a 6-sheet Fellowes H6-C.

    The better one was a 10-sheet Fellowes PS80C-2.


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    #19
    Hocus Focus
    Registered Users Posts: 754 ✭✭✭Hocus Focus


    New Home wrote: »
    I thought they were coming up to eat and because of the dampness. It's pure cellulose, AFAIK, so it shouldn't be much different to leaves, etc.

    I think they control weeds because they cut off the light.
    They're coming up to eat the wet, decomposing cardboard. Meanwhile the cardboard is preventing weeds by cutting off the light, until you are ready to dig it in and start planting.


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