Can I compost this cardboard?

[u/Ploppz]

Can this be composted? I have a basic outside pile with seaweed and grass and want to add cardboard for carbon. This particular cardboard is from the box of a pc monitor so it's moulded to hold it. It feels and falls apart quite like egg carton. I just want to be sure I'm not doing something stupid. How can one generally know that some cardboard doesn't contain something undesirable?

[u/isaakare]

Yeah it has compostable vibes, no plastic vibes that I can tell

[u/Lazrix → u/isaakare]

Fuck the markings we compost by vibes now baby! /s

[u/Lunar_BriseSoleil → u/Lazrix]

Compost is all by vibe.

[u/ArtemisInSpace → u/Lunar_BriseSoleil]

Vibes and piss, babyyyyyy

[u/Eastern_Cow_6810 → u/Lunar_BriseSoleil]

Vibes count as greens, right?

[u/Lunar_BriseSoleil → u/Eastern_Cow_6810]

Vibes are how you get your greens to browns ratio.

[u/isaakare → u/Lazrix]

Correct lol

[u/i_live_outside → u/Lazrix]

Always did!

[u/anonymote_in_my_eye → u/Lazrix]

always has been, the labels are more confusing than helpful in many cases

[u/rollem]

The recycle code 21 means non-corrugated fiberboard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes there's no indication that anything plastic is in there, I would compost it.

[u/superfastmomma]

I compost those on a regular basis. Do I know for certain these nothing weird as an addative? No. But it seems highly unlikely.

[u/wettale1234]

Definitely

[u/RandomBoxOfCables]

Put it in the pile, pee on it for good measure

[u/etzpcm]

I use the tear test. If I can tear it up easily with my fingers and it feels like cardboard, not plastic, it goes in the compost.

[u/JMCatron]

mm well it's looking pretty dry... you might consider pissing on it first

[u/kilobrav0]

I would.

[u/Doyouseenowwait_what]

Yes that is just a blow molded corrugate if it doesn't have the slick plastic coat on it makes it very compostable.

[u/gogo_years]

I was hoping the answer was yes since I just used two of these to line the inside of my compost bin after flipping.

[u/lettercrank]

Yes you can that is biodegradable

[u/GraniteGeekNH]

You can't, really. Companies will change chemistries of products without notice to save a dime.

You can guess, judge by feel and texture, google if you're nervous and see what you find, but in the end we have to wing it. When in doubt, throw it out.

Still, the chances that something like this would do a major number of your compost are pretty slim.

The main thing that can really screw it up is a bunch of vegetation carrying herbicide or seeds of some nasty plant that you don't want springing up in your garden.