Composting toilet paper rolls is an easy way to make this circular economy work. When we throw away toilet paper tubes, they can take 1-5 years to decompose in landfills. But composting allows microbial activity to break the cardboard down within months. The carbon-rich tubes get turned into organic matter that nourishes soil.
Composting toilet paper rolls is more sustainable than recycling them. It closes the loop locally and requires no fossil-fuel powered transportation.
Can You Compost Toilet Paper Rolls?
The short answer is yes! Toilet paper rolls make an excellent addition to both backyard compost piles and indoor compost bins.
The cardboard provides a source of browns that balance out nitrogen-rich greens. Microorganisms use the carbon as an energy source to break down waste.
Toilet paper tubes are made of thin cardboard rolls. Most are constructed of virgin kraft pulp sourced from sustainably managed tree farms.
The kraft pulping process leaves a natural brown color without using dyes. This makes the cardboard safe to compost without contaminating soil.
Benefits of Composting Toilet Paper Tubes
Composting toilet paper rolls offers numerous benefits:
- Diverts waste from landfills
- Provides carbon to balance nitrogen in compost
- Adds fiber for soil structure and drainage
- Supplies micronutrients that plants need
- Closes the loop through circular economy
- Reduces need for chemical fertilizers
- Better for the environment than recycling
- Saves fossil fuels used in transportation/processing
- Simple free way to boost your compost’s value
With all these advantages, it’s a no-brainer to start composting TP rolls rather than throwing them away.
What Toilet Paper Rolls Can Be Composted?
While most toilet paper tubes can be composted, there are a few things to check first:
Avoid Glossy, Dyed & Treated Rolls
Toilet paper rolls with a glossy exterior, printed designs or added dyes often have chemical coatings. These can be harmful to add to compost destined for food crops.
Stick to plain, unbleached cardboard rolls without any glossy print or sealed finishes. Simple brown kraft paper rolls are ideal.
Check for Adhesives
Some toilet paper rolls have adhesives to bind the cardboard or attach labels. Avoid adding rolls coated in sticky glues. The substances may not break down and can contaminate compost.
Glue is sometimes used on luxury or boutique toilet paper brands. Mass market rolls rarely have any adhesive so are typically fine to compost.
Remove Stickers & Labels
Before composting toilet paper tubes, peel off any stickers, labels or wraps left on the cardboard. The adhesives and inks on these can have heavy metals and other toxins.
Recycle paper labels instead of composting them. Make sure no sticky residue remains before adding rolls to your compost.
As long as rolls are plain cardboard without any coatings, they’re safe to compost. Now let’s look at how to prep and compost toilet paper tubes.
How To Prepare Toilet Paper Rolls for Composting
Proper preparation is key for toilet paper tubes to break down quickly in compost. Follow these steps:
1. Let Tubes Dry Out
If tubes are still moist with toilet paper residue, let them dry fully before composting. You want the cardboard completely dry to avoid compacting compost.
2. Remove Excess Toilet Paper
Peel off any toilet paper remnants sticking to the inside of the tubes. Discard leftover TP in the trash – don’t add to compost.
3. Flatten Rolls
To accelerate decomposition, flatten tubes fully so they lay flat. This increases the surface area for microbes to munch through.
4. Shred or Tear into Pieces
For even faster composting, tear or cut tubes into smaller pieces 1-2 inches wide. Shredding facilitates breakdown.
Now the TP rolls are prepped and ready to add to your compost pile or bin!
How To Compost Toilet Paper Tubes
Composting toilet paper rolls is easy whether you use an outdoor compost pile, enclosed bin or indoor system.
Outdoor Compost Piles & Heaps
Outdoor composting systems provide the fastest way to compost toilet paper rolls thanks to full exposure to soil microbes, fungi, and moisture.
To compost in a classic backyard heap or pile:
- Start with a base layer of woody browns like wood chips, dried leaves, or shredded brush to allow aeration.
- Add prepped cardboard rolls in a thin layer.
- Cover rolls with 2-3 inches of nitrogen-rich green waste like garden trimmings, fruit/veg scraps, grass clippings, or manure.
- Repeat layering brown, green, brown until 3-4 feet tall.
- Keep compost evenly moist like a wrung-out sponge. Turn or mix pile weekly.
- Tubes and other waste will decompose into usable compost in 2-4 months.
With frequent turning and moisture, toilet paper rolls will break down rapidly to humus that you can spread as a nutritious soil amendment.
Compost Tumblers
For a neater DIY composting option, try a rotating compost tumbler. Fill according to batch instructions, alternating green and brown materials. Close the drum and turn it 3-4 times per week to actively aerate compost. The moving action speeds decomposition to finish compost with toilet paper rolls in 6-8 weeks.
Enclosed Compost Bins
Enclosed compost bins like those made of wood or plastic have the advantage of keeping pests out. Fill in layers as described above, then let compost passively break down over 4-6 months. Turning the batch periodically will expedite the process. Empty finished compost from the bottom door as it completes its cycle.
Indoor Composting Systems
For urban dwellers and apartment dwellers without outdoor space, indoor composting provides a simple solution to divert food scraps from landfills.
Electric composters like the Vitamix FoodCycler or Lomi can tackle toilet paper rolls in addition to food waste. The grinders pulverize everything into a uniform compost.
Vermicomposting uses red wigglers to consume waste. The worms will happily munch on shredded toilet paper rolls along with kitchen scraps in a bin indoors.
Composting toilets allow you to compost human waste along with toilet paper. Special microbial powders help break down waste into safe, usable compost.
Indoor systems take longer to compost TP rolls than outdoor piles but still keep trash out of landfills. Empty finished compost into outdoor bins to cure.
Using Composted Toilet Paper Rolls
After 2-8 months of active composting, toilet paper tubes will be broken down into dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling humus. This “black gold” nutrient-packed material has endless uses:
- Mix into potting soil and seed starting mix as an organic amendment.
- Work into garden beds and landscaping plants as a natural fertilizer.
- Spread around the base of trees, shrubs and hedges.
- Top-dress lawns, pastures, and orchards to improve regeneration.
- Add to vermicomposting bins as a food source for the worms.
- Use as mulch to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
- Blend into compost teas, fertilizers, and organic pesticides.
The finished compost with decomposed TP rolls will feed microorganisms in the soil, stimulating root growth and plant health. It’s a sustainable way to boost yields!
Composting vs. Recycling Toilet Paper Rolls
Some people choose to recycle toilet paper tubes through municipal pickup or drop-off programs rather than composting them. Recycling does divert waste from landfills, but composting has more environmental benefits.
Here’s how composting and recycling TP rolls compare:
Composting Pros
- Closes loop locally rather than exporting waste
- No fossil fuels needed for transportation to facility
- Reduces methane emissions from landfills
- Creates usable material (compost) rather than downcycling
- Higher landfill diversion rate
- Nutrients and organic matter return to soil
Recycling Pros
- Widely available municipal programs
- Minimal prep (no chopping tubes)
- No cost if part of curbside pickup
- Prevents some virgin cardboard manufacturing
Cons of Both
- Contamination risks if waste not clean
- Need participation and compliance from public
- Danger of cross-contamination at facilities
Ultimately how you choose to divert toilet paper rolls is a personal choice based on your local options and commitment. But when available, composting offers the most ecological benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Composting toilet paper tubes may be new to many. Here are answers to some common questions:
Does Decomposition Take Longer Than Food Scraps?
Yes, cardboard toilet paper rolls take 2-4 months to fully break down. Food scraps decompose within weeks or months depending on the material. But given enough warmth, moisture and agitation, TP tubes will turn to finished compost rapidly.
Can You Use a Composting Toilet?
Yes! Composting toilets allow you to compost toilet paper, even used TP, along with human waste on-site. The small amounts of bodily fluids won’t harm composting. Special microbial powders help ensure it’s safe, hygienic compost.
Do I Need a Shredder to Break Them Down?
No shredder required! Simply tearing tubes into smaller pieces speeds the composting process. A shredder does work faster but is not essential.
What If Roll Has a Plastic Core?
Toilet paper rolls with a cardboard exterior and inner plastic core should not be composted. Remove the cardboard to recycle or compost, then trash the plastic core.
Can I Vermicompost Toilet Paper Rolls?
Worm composting bins are excellent for toilet paper tubes! Shredded cardboard offers worms fiber and carbon. Just keep bedding moist in the worm bin as dryness deters worms.
Are Fruit Roll Ups & Paper Towel Tubes Also Compostable?
Plain cardboard tubes from paper towels, cling wrap and fruit roll-ups can all be composted similarly. Avoid any with glossy/printed exteriors or adhesive.