Newspaper in Compost?

[Jono]

Does anyone put newspaper, Yellow Pages etc in to their compost? I could do with some dry stuff in mine, but concerned that the chemicals from the ink and paper could get into the compost and make it 'unorganic'?

Or am I being overdramatic?

Ta,

Jono.

[arpoet]

Hi Jono.. i get given about 5 bin liners full of shreaded office papers given me every month. I use these as a top mulch with hops and hos muck on resting beds, dig it into trenches and, yes, i layer it into my compost heap with kithcken scraps and garden waste and spent hops.
It works well for me.
Roger

[Florence Fennel]

I don't very often put newspaper in, but I would if I needed to IYKWIM. The paper wrapping and brown paper bag from the throw out on Fridays goes in, as do any egg boxes, toilet and kitchen roll middles. Oh and all my confidential waste (which remains safely confidential).

[Two_Sheds]

They use vegetable based inks in newspapers, so all safe.

I use loads of newspaper on the plot (I get one every day). I use it for parrot poops, guinea pig bedding, wrapping kitchen scraps, mulching raspberries, making paper pots ... then finally it all goes in the compost heap too

[Bren In Pots]

I do just the same as Two sheds, well apart from the pet bedding because I don't have any.

Have to say I do like making those little newspaper pots.

[singleseeder]

Lots of paper goes into my compost heap.

I tear the paper down the fold to give me a pile of page sized sheets. These I keep tucked away on top of the dishwasher/under the counter ready for use.

One is folded up and put in the bottom of my mini composter to catch any moisture (all tipped onto a sheet of paper when full); one is laid on the bench to peel the veggies onto; my mini teabag pot is tipped on to one; I put one into a collander to drain the caffetiere into; a few are laid out when veggies are brought home from the plot for the outer leaves; etc etc. Each time the paper is wrapped up 'fish and chip' style and put into a carrier bag in the garage ready to go back to the compost heap on the plot.

It is practical and puts extra bulk into the compost heap.

[solway cropper]

They use vegetable based inks in newspapers, so all safe.

It's not so much the pigment as the solvents, binders and additives in the ink. And if the papers are printed by lithography there's the contents of the fountain solution, usually containing a fungicide, that are absorbed by the paper. You'd be amazed at the number of chemicals there are in a newspaper but don't worry, they are in such small quantities as to be largely irrelevant. However, if the Soil Association detects them in your compost you're in trouble

[shona_b]

I am going to "pinch with pride" those steps from Singleseeder - what a great idea and should make cleaning out the wormfood bucket a lot easier and less litle flies around the bags waiting to go to the plot composter! Excellent

[alex-adam]

I use all my paper shreddings in the compost bin - ideal to mix with the lawn cuttings so stopping them turning into a green slimey mess.

[chris]

I used to do the same (line the caddies with newspaper), but since I've bought a larger air tight one it's much easier to keep clean..

I line my chicken coop with a sheet of newspaper, each morning I take away the top layer with poo on it, and compost it.

So yes, newspaper goes in my compost

[Jono]

Thanks everyone, very useful.

Put some in there yesterday, and will be instructing the wife to pick up the discarded newspapers once a week on her train commute.