Quick Answer: Can You Compost Pizza Boxes?
Yes, you can compost pizza boxes as they break down quickly. But, they should not have any plastic or wax-coating. The uncoated boxes may be torn into smaller pieces and thrown into a regular compost pile. You may bury them deep into the compost pile to prevent unwanted intruders. It may take two to three months to degrade completely.
This guide answers one of the most frequently asked questions, whether a pizza box can be composted?
Let’s get started.
Contents
Can You Compost Pizza Boxes?
Yes, you can compost pizza boxes that are made of corrugated cardboard. They consist of layers of paper liners glued together and hence, are biodegradable. They may decompose when torn up and mixed into the compost.
The boxes coated with bee or soybean wax may be compostable.
But, you may avoid plastic-coated boxes as they leave behind a trail of chemicals after decomposing. These chemicals may contaminate the compost.
How To Compost Pizza Boxes With Ease?
The pizza boxes act as a filler and provide bulk for the compost. It may not be nutrient-rich as vegetable scraps but gets decomposed quickly in a regular compost bin.
The different steps to compost pizza boxes are as follows:
1. Chop the pizza boxes into small pieces
Remove all the materials from the boxes, including crusts, peppers, or other toppings.
You may tear the pizza boxes into small pieces. This may increase the surface area for the decomposition process. Add them to your compost pile.
2. Balance with green materials
The pizza boxes are considered a brown ingredient. You may balance them with green ingredients.
You may mix and bury them in the center of the pile to prevent unwanted intruders. Cover them with the top soil.
3. Turn the compost pile
You may turn the pile every few days to keep heat, air, and moisture levels at optimum levels. It may take two to three months to decompose completely.
A popular composter suggests lining the compost bin with the unshredded pizza box. This helps in retaining moisture. It may degrade over some time.
Here is a useful video on composting pizza boxes:
Can You Recycle Pizza Boxes?
You may recycle used pizza boxes that are dry and free of food contamination. You may throw the rest into the trash.
It depends on the recycling centers in your location. Some do not accept pizza boxes with grease.
The heavily greased pizza boxes can not be cleaned during the recycling. When you soak the greased cardboard with water and chemicals, it may prevent the paper fibers from binding during the recycling process.
It cant be separated in the pulping process and may contaminate the entire batch. So, it is better to avoid recycling greased pizza boxes.
Can You Compost Soiled Pizza Boxes?
The answer is tricky. Some argue that you can compost soiled pizza boxes. The amount of grease may not cause any problems in the compost pile. However, it is preferable to clean the boxes and remove the food remnants before composting them.
Others argue that greased pizza boxes should not be composted as they may attract pests. You may bury them deeper in the compost pile, and it may solve the problem.
Can You Use Pizza Boxes As Worm Beddings?
Yes, you may use pizza boxes as worm beddings. It has to be cut into small pieces before adding to a worm composting bin. The large pieces may prevent the worm movement and prevent proper drainage.
One problem is that these cardboards should not be covered with excessive grease as they may be harmful to the worms.
Also, the plastic-coated cardboard should not go into the worm bin as the worms can not digest plastic.
Can You Compost Frozen Pizza Boxes?
It depends on the packaging materials. The boxes with plastic coating can not be composted.
The frozen pizza boxes are made of paperboard, wax-coated cardboard, or mixed-material boxes.
Most pizza boxes are made of plastic-coated paperboard to prevent freezer burns, moisture leaks, and product degradation. The thin layer of plastic coating makes them difficult to recycle or compost.
The mixed-materials boxes also contain a layer of plastic making it difficult to compost. You may only compost frozen boxes coated with soybeans or beeswax.
FAQs
No, you can not compost pizza savers as they are made of plastic. It is used to prevent the top of a food container from touching the topping of the pizza inside. They can not also be recycled as they are very small. So, you have to toss them in the trash.
You may make many crafts using pizza boxes. You may make a cat bed, laptop stand, nightstand, self-ring, a kid’s art easel, soccer set, bird’s nest, wall art, marble maze, tic-tac-toe board, giant battleship game, and an art canvas. You may also use it as mulch.
Yes, the greasy pizza boxes may be used for sheet mulching projects. They may break down for the lasagna mulch. You may lay them flat over the garden area that prevents the lights from reaching the existing grass and weeds. Later add other organic materials to develop a growing medium.
In the End
I hope you may reduce your household waste by composting pizza boxes using the steps mentioned in the guide above.
Do share your thoughts on the process of composting!