Honestly, I’ve had the same struggle with cardboard—sometimes it feels like it’s still hanging around long after everything else has broken down. One trick I picked up: if you run a box cutter over the surface and score it up a bit before laying it down, it seems to break apart faster. Not sure if that’s just in my head or if the worms appreciate the extra effort.
I do agree about the tape and labels being a pain. I’ve started peeling off as much as I can, but there’s always that one stubborn strip that refuses to budge. As for the glue smell, yeah, some boxes are way worse than others. I once used a batch from an electronics store and my whole compost pile smelled like a weird mix of glue and plastic for weeks... lesson learned.
Mixing in grass clippings or even a little kitchen scrap (nothing too wild—no meat or dairy) helps speed things up too. And honestly, if you’re patient, even the stubborn stuff eventually disappears. Nature’s slow but thorough—kind of like me on a Sunday morning.
Honestly, I’d skip cardboard altogether if you’re after efficiency. Here’s why:
- Even “clean” boxes can have hidden coatings or glues that mess with compost.
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That right there is why I just use shredded paper or wood mulch—breaks down faster, no weird smells.“my whole compost pile smelled like a weird mix of glue and plastic for weeks...”
- Grass clippings and kitchen scraps do the job on their own, no stubborn tape to deal with.
I get the appeal of recycling, but sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle.
