paper shreds for compost?

Hi All

Do you put paper shreds to your compost bin? For the first time, I am thinking of putting these into my compost bin. When I think about what is in the paper shreds, there are letters, envelops, newspapers, magazines advertising leaflets …etc and some of them are glossy papers which colour photos and graphics. Are these all supposed to be OK for composting? I mean how do I know if the inks for the graphics in the glossy ad leaflets are not toxic chemicals? Your thoughts? cheers.

 

I put lots of shredded paper in my compost bin - not the glossy stuff though.
The resulting compost, although I say it myself, is great and as Geoffrey Smith used to say "almost good enough to eat in a sandwich"

a-a

 

C.A,T. did a test on composted printed paper and couldn't find any contaminants from the inks.

Best to use crumpled layers of cardboard or shreddings between layers of kitchen waste, stops it becoming a sticky wet mass and improves the carbon/nitrogen ratio

 

Thanks for your info. I will try not to shred glossy papers now to put the shredded papers to compost bin.

For cardboard boxes, we have a lot of colourful cardboard boxes from cereal, clothes, shoes etc. As long as they are not glossy, I take it they are ok?

 

Can't find a link to the article on their website.

http://www.cat.org.uk/index.html

But I know I read it in a printed format, so it might not be on there. As far as I remember they used the colourful ones, I do, and i'm not mad yet

 

I just tear up any cardboard boxes and odd bits of paper and chuck them in the compost bin (in the kitchen) and from there they go with all the vegetable scraps to the compost heap.

 

Shredded paper makes great nestbox bedding material for chickens if you have them. Afterwards it can go straight on the compost heap.

 

If a compost bin is mostly grass clippings with shredded leaves would shredded paper be ideal?

 

Yes, (see also my post above) , shredded paper, torn up brown cardboard, egg boxes and the like, well mixed with your grass clippings will be fine.

a-a

 

What about added whitening bleach in paper making process? Would it not be considered as chemical?

 

I wouldn't be overly worried about it.

 

Are they recyclable?