Using Shredded Paper for Coop Litter - As Good As Wood Chips?

[Jenni Hen]

Morrisons recycle small plastic bags but don't say how they are recycled. My partner collects up plastic foodbags and whisks them away pronto whereas I like a supply to use in the freezer, - especially the transparent ones so I can see what's inside!

Some places here do use paper bags, but not the main supermarkets.

I've just realised that a plastic loaf wrapper well-filled with paper shreds iwould provide the right amount for the coop in the morning and I could store the filled bags in the greenhouse. It's helpful to have details like this, on how to be organised and avoid living in a chaotic mess as at present, with two sacks of shreddings in the house so they don't get damp.

 

[gtaus]

I've just realised that a plastic loaf wrapper well-filled with paper shreds iwould provide the right amount for the coop in the morning and I could store the filled bags in the greenhouse. It's helpful to have details like this, on how to be organised and avoid living in a chaotic mess as at present, with two sacks of shreddings in the house so they don't get damp.

Good points there. My coop is 7X12 feet, so a bread loaf wrapper filled with paper shreds is probably not enough for my coop. Hence, I use the over-sized plastic checkout bags from Menards. But point taken, the plastic bags keep everything dry, and I just store my bags in the house because I know the paper shreds are bug free. Also, I only use a bag or two every couple of weeks, so storing the bags of shreds in the house is not a big deal.

I had not considered any organization benefits to using paper shreds. However, shredding all our junk mail, office papers, light cardboard food boxes, etc... reduces the amount of stuff being thrown into our recycle bins at home, so that is a big benefit to us. It is amazing how much of a garbage/recycle can is filled with just paper products. Since I started shredding almost all our paper, our garbage/recycle bins last a lot longer before we have to empty them.

 

[Jenni Hen]

My run is 6' x' 12' and I'm guessing that a Menard's bag is probably about the same size as a 'bag for life' supermarket bag. So I could expect to use a 'bag for life'-ful per week.

Today I tried shredding cardboard, or rather the paper shredder did. It struggled.

We have a couple of basic old shredders in the house that I need to empty so I'll see how they cope with the cardboard; I don't want to ruin the cross-cut shredded.

The shredded cardboard itself seemed cosy and dry sompared with other materials and the paper already down had dried or started to break up. So far, so good!

 

[Sally PB]

I do know that our local WalMart has a plastic bag recycling bin. Dear Wife saves up our plastic grocery bags, in a plastic grocery bag, and dumps it off at WalMart when the bag is full. What/How they recycle those bags, I don't know.

The local chain, Meijer, takes all kinds of plastic films. Bags, bread wrappers, the plastic wrapping around TP, etc, etc. I thought I read that it gets sold to be recycled into the plastic they make decking out of...?

If given a choice, I will opt for brown paper bags, but there are very few places where you can even get paper bags. Paper bags shred up nicely and make excellent paper shreds for use in the coop. But, I can't even think of the last time I got a paper bag at one of our local stores.

Meijer still has paper bags; you have to ask for them. I do on occasion when I have something I want heavy brown paper for, like wrapping a box to ship.

 

[avjudge]

. . . Today I tried shredding cardboard, or rather the paper shredder did. It struggled. . .

I posted about this early in this thread but that is a long time ago and many pages back now . . .
I shred primarily cardboard as when I use the shreds in the horse/llama stall it gets spread thinly across the back side of my lawn and white paper shows up badly in the poor grass there.

I got a 16-sheet shredder for this job after burning out a 12-sheet shredder. My old one usually didn't seem to strain, but couldn't stand up to the use. This one, in addition to being rated for "16 sheets," is rated for 30 minutes of continuous use before giving it a lengthy cool-down period. So far it has stood up to a couple years of my use. I don't push either the thickness of paper or length of shredding session.

All of which is to say that I believe it takes a heavier-duty shredder than the standard consumer model to handle cardboard on a regular basis!

 

[Iluveggers]

NYS doesn’t allow grocery stores to bag groceries in plastic now, and most stores charge a 5c paper bag fee, so the majority of shoppers bring reusable bags. I understand the environmental impact, but carrying heavy, fragile items in a paper bag when you forget one doesn’t always end well…they are hard to carry and rip easily!

 

[gtaus]

Today I tried shredding cardboard, or rather the paper shredder did. It struggled.

When I say I shred my light cardboard food boxes, I'm talking about cereal boxes and the like. I pull them apart at a glue joint so the cardboard is never doubled up when I feed it through my shredders. I have a 10 and 12 sheet shredder, and they don't have any problems with shredding the light cardboard as a single sheet.

I can shred heavier cardboard from packing boxes, but I have to cut it into strips and feed it down the "credit card" slot. Frankly, that's more work than I want to put into it. I only have a manual scissors, at present, and it takes too long to cut heavy cardboard into those strips. If you really want to shred heavy cardboard, then I would suggest getting one of the battery operated scissors to save your hands.

If your shredder is struggling on those heavy cardboard strips, I would recommend not doing it because you will just burn out your shredder.

I had some smaller home shredders that were rated for maybe 6 sheets, and they were not good for anything but paper. It would not take much for them to burn out if you forced cardboard down them.

I got a 16-sheet shredder for this job after burning out a 12-sheet shredder.

All of which is to say that I believe it takes a heavier-duty shredder than the standard consumer model to handle cardboard on a regular basis!

I would agree with that. I seldom shred heavy cardboard. I have plenty of other paper products to fill my bags for coop litter.

Also, I got my paper 10 and 12 sheet shredders at our local church thrift store for less than $5.00 each. That was a good deal for me. If a person has to buy a new 16 sheet shredder for heavy cardboard, that becomes an investment in the project. Probably worth it if you have lots of cardboard to shred, but I really don't.

But, I do use my heavy cardboard as weed barriers on the ground on pathways and then I dump wood chips or grass clippings on top of the cardboard. It lasts pretty much all summer and the next year I have to lay down fresh cardboard if I want a new weed barrier. The only cardboard boxes I sent to the recycle bin are the few boxes that have tape all over them. Fortunately, most companies are getting better with the amount of tape on the boxes so that is becoming less of a problem for me.

BTW, does anyone know if the tape on Amazon packages it compostable? I don't like to use cardboard with tape on it, even for my weed barriers, but if the tape was compostable, that would be OK.

 

[gtaus]

I understand the environmental impact, but carrying heavy, fragile items in a paper bag when you forget one doesn’t always end well…they are hard to carry and rip easily!

Plastic bags do have advantages, no doubt. Paper bags don't last very long, and, like you said, they can rip easily.

 

[Jenni Hen]

I posted about this early in this thread but that is a long time ago and many pages back now . . .
I shred primarily cardboard as when I use the shreds in the horse/llama stall it gets spread thinly across the back side of my lawn and white paper shows up badly in the poor grass there.

I got a 16-sheet shredder for this job after burning out a 12-sheet shredder. My old one usually didn't seem to strain, but couldn't stand up to the use. This one, in addition to being rated for "16 sheets," is rated for 30 minutes of continuous use before giving it a lengthy cool-down period. So far it has stood up to a couple years of my use. I don't push either the thickness of paper or length of shredding session.

All of which is to say that I believe it takes a heavier-duty shredder than the standard consumer model to handle cardboard on a regular basis!

I did recall something about shredders earlier in the thread and didn't mean to ignore your contribution, sorry. My problem at the moment is that I can't scan the screen and browse the content because I'm waiting for reading glasses. I can follow a line of text, just about. (I can't wait for 20 December when I get the post op checkup, permission to do gardening and glasses for reading and driving again - wey-hey!!!)

My shredder is mean to do up to 5 sheets and was shredding corrugated packing cardboard so it deserves congratulations and a good rest lol!

 

[Jenni Hen]

When I say I shred my light cardboard food boxes, I'm talking about cereal boxes and the like. I pull them apart at a glue joint so the cardboard is never doubled up when I feed it through my shredders. I have a 10 and 12 sheet shredder, and they don't have any problems with shredding the light cardboard as a single sheet.

I can shred heavier cardboard from packing boxes, but I have to cut it into strips and feed it down the "credit card" slot. Frankly, that's more work than I want to put into it. I only have a manual scissors, at present, and it takes too long to cut heavy cardboard into those strips. If you really want to shred heavy cardboard, then I would suggest getting one of the battery operated scissors to save your hands.

If your shredder is struggling on those heavy cardboard strips, I would recommend not doing it because you will just burn out your shredder.

I had some smaller home shredders that were rated for maybe 6 sheets, and they were not good for anything but paper. It would not take much for them to burn out if you forced cardboard down them.





I would agree with that. I seldom shred heavy cardboard. I have plenty of other paper products to fill my bags for coop litter.

Also, I got my paper 10 and 12 sheet shredders at our local church thrift store for less than $5.00 each. That was a good deal for me. If a person has to buy a new 16 sheet shredder for heavy cardboard, that becomes an investment in the project. Probably worth it if you have lots of cardboard to shred, but I really don't.

But, I do use my heavy cardboard as weed barriers on the ground on pathways and then I dump wood chips or grass clippings on top of the cardboard. It lasts pretty much all summer and the next year I have to lay down fresh cardboard if I want a new weed barrier. The only cardboard boxes I sent to the recycle bin are the few boxes that have tape all over them. Fortunately, most companies are getting better with the amount of tape on the boxes so that is becoming less of a problem for me.

BTW, does anyone know if the tape on Amazon packages it compostable? I don't like to use cardboard with tape on it, even for my weed barriers, but if the tape was compostable, that would be OK.

TBH I don't know what to do with the old shredders, which I inherited from my late mother's house in 2008. A charity shop won't take them and I've never seen a request for one on the Freecycle forum; but I just can't put something to be recycled if it's still in perfect working condition. I'll try not to spoil them but won't cry if they can't cope.

I've never heard of battery-powered scissors but will investigate!

The ground in the 'extension' run is starting to get damp and heavy cardboard shreds would be the best for covering it. It's rained so much that the water company has just lifted the hosepipe ban