Does anyone know if it is safe to compost those brown corrugated cardboard boxes that come with online shopping? I have lots of boxes that I would prefer to compost rather than chuck in kerbside recycling for collection. I know that bleached paper is a no no because bacteria doesn't like it as much but I've also heard that they use fumigation chemicals on some cardboard boxes (particularly those that cross borders) and then there are chemicals in dyes and maybe others that I'm unaware of. Will these chemicals break down in the soil and if so are boxes with typical chemicals safe for composting for use in an edible garden? Also what about brown cereal or beverage boxes if you peel off the dyed gloss paper layer?
I've looked online but there doesn't seem to be much information about leached chemicals from paper composting. Was hoping there may be an expert on here that can share their wisdom :) Thank you in advance! I think also that a lot of people could benefit from this type of information. |
