can you compost cardstock?
brown · carbon paper & cardboard
Yes — uncoated cardstock is just thick paper and composts well once torn small and dampened.
breaks down in 2–5 months torn and soaked
C:N ≈ 300:1
which bins can take it?
- hot pile yes
- cold pile yes
- worm bin yes
- bokashi no
- tumbler yes
- curbside yes
why?
Cardstock is denser than printer paper — typically 65 to 110 lb cover weight versus 20 lb bond — so water and fungal hyphae take longer to penetrate each piece. Density is the only obstacle: the fiber itself is ordinary bleached pulp with no coating on standard stock. Torn small and soaked, it behaves like thin cardboard in the pile.
how to prep it
- Tear into pieces no bigger than a playing card
- Soak the pieces before adding them to a dry pile
watch out for
- Coated cardstock — glossy scrapbooking sheets, some invitations — is a different animal; treat it like glossy paper and recycle it.
quick answers
Does printed cardstock compost as well as blank?
Yes. Laser toner and inkjet ink amount to trace plastic and pigment at gram scale, and extension programs don't restrict printed home paper. Sheets saturated with solid ink coverage just take a little longer to wet through.