Incorporating Paper Bags within Compost

Christopher Blaul is a Santa Barbara, California, entrepreneur who has overseen a leading local custom painting company for three decades. Reflecting a personal commitment to reducing plastic waste, Christopher Blaul also established the Hello Bag lineup of adjustable frames that help repurpose used paper bags for around-the-house and garden uses.

When they have truly seen the end of their usable lifespan, paper bags are excellent for composting purposes. As featured on the www.hello-bag.com blog, paper bags can be set up beside you using a Hello Bag frame and filled with small branches and deadheads during the pruning process

The frame not only prevents the bag from toppling over, but also keeps it open and maximizes available space. Once the bag is full of compostable waste, simply dig a hole, remove the frame from the bag, and drop bag in and cover the bag with topsoil. The end result is a handy way of collecting and disposing of waste that also feeds the garden.

The same trick can also be used with kitchen scrap. Adding paper bags to your compost is a proven part of a “brown and green” strategy for reducing unpleasant odors. This involves having just the right mix of nitrogen-centric “green” components (grass clippings, rinds, coffee grounds) and carbon-heavy “brown” components (paper bags, dry leaves) in the mix.