Can I put napkin in my compost bin?

Umm...😕

It's complicated, whether you can put napkin into your composting bin, so read on!

Composting Used Paper Towels, Napkins, and Tissues

Used paper towels, napkins, and tissues can be composted, allowing these products to breakdown naturally rather than ending up in landfills. Composting these paper items can enrich your garden soil and reduce waste.

Why Compost Paper Towels, Napkins, and Tissues?

Composting used paper towels, napkins, and tissues offers several key benefits:

Diverts waste from landfills and reduces your environmental impact
Produces nutrient-rich compost to fertilize your garden
Saves money on buying commercial fertilizers
Easy to do at home with a backyard compost bin or pile

What Types of Paper Items Can Be Composted?

Many common paper items can be added to your compost:

Used Paper Towels and Napkins

Paper towels used for cleaning up food and drinks
Soiled napkins from meals and parties
White or colored paper napkins without dyes or colored patterns

Tissues

Facial tissues and toilet paper
Paper towels for drying hands
Shredded paper from document shredders

You can also compost paper plates, coffee filters, tea bags, pizza boxes, paper egg cartons, brown paper bags, cardboard boxes, and newspaper.

How to Prepare Paper Items for Composting

Proper preparation helps your paper products decompose efficiently in the compost pile:

Remove Any Plastics

Dispose of paper towels or napkins with plastic coatings
Remove any stickers, tape or staples

Shred or Tear Up Paper

Shredding or tearing makes paper break down faster
Try ripping up napkins and paper towels

Mix With Other Compost Materials

Combine paper with fruit and veggie scraps, plant trimmings, egg shells
The right mix of paper, greens, browns balances nutrients

Maintaining Your Compost Pile

A hot, active compost pile will process paper products quickly. Here are some tips:

Add a Variety of Materials

Mix paper with fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings

Provide Proper Moisture and Air Flow

Paper and other materials should be moist but not soaked wet
Turn or stir the pile weekly

Site Your Pile in a Shady Spot

Choose a level area of your yard that gets some shade during the day

Follow these guidelines for successful composting with paper waste in your backyard. Producing high-quality compost takes some patience as a home gardening project, but cutting down on paper towel and napkin waste going to landfills makes it worthwhile for the planet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of paper can't be composted?

Avoid composting paper towels or napkins containing cleaning chemicals, grease from automobile shops, colored ink, or plastics. Most dyed paper products are not suitable for backyard compost piles.

How long does it take paper towels and napkins to decompose in compost?

Shredded paper towels and torn up napkins break down within 2-5 months in an active compost pile. Whole paper towels may take 6-12 months.

Should I cover up paper waste in my compost bin?

Covering paper products can help the composting process. Adding a layer of leaves, straw, or soil over paper waste will retain heat and moisture in the pile.

What is the ideal carbon-to-nitrogen ratio for composting paper?

Paper products have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio around 170:1 - making them "browns" in composting terms. Mix paper with "green" nitrogen-rich waste like food scraps that have a 30:1 ratio. Blend both types of waste to achieve 25-30:1.