We compost very few paper goods. We compost used tissues, but not much other paper. Hubby has a lot of allergies and goes through a lot of Kleenex. We only buy the plain white stuff, and it goes straight into the compost container in the house, which gets emptied once or twice a day. I use cloth handkerchiefs, so they aren't from me. We use rags and not paper towels for almost everything, our last roll of paper towels lasted about 4 years, no kidding. We are dubious of laser printed paper, since the print doesn't actually degrade or come off if you soak it in water. (We have tested it.) That seems unnatural to me, like it has plastic in it or something. And who knows what is in the junk mail we get. The local paper does use all soy based inks, but evidently there are still a few chemicals that are unpleasant in those as well. We do put cardboard down under lasagna beds, and will compost the odd bit of paper that has gotten ucky. But mainly our paper and cardboard goes to the recycling center one mile down the street. I would rather 'return' it for another go than have it rot, since I have plenty of OPL to use for browns in my compost. Marcia

That's the right way, reduce, reuse THEN recycle. I see your point about safety but I'm not sure dogs eating garbage is a good analogy. One has to keep in mind that we don't eat the paper, nor the compost, nor the soil (except in tiny amounts). Anything in that tiny amount of ink has to find its way through all those dilution and transfer steps into the part of a plant that you actually eat, and then into your body, in quantities sufficient to cause a problem, in order to be an actual risk. For me it seems like a stretch. Hard information on this is hard to come by. I use a weight of evidence approach. Based on the info I have been able to find, there is some uncertainty, but for me there are more pebbles on the safe side of the scale than on the other side. I am a spectator since I don't compost paper, but I think there are bigger fish to fry. I do compost a lot of sawdust, and I keep the treated stuff out religiously. I *know* the levels of metals in that stuff and they are much much higher.

"1. I've read that it's OK to compost office paper, paper plates, etc. These are usually bleached and contain who knows what other chemicals. Are these really safe to compost?" That it was bleached does not mean that it still has bleach in it. The bleach was used to whiten the paper and is long gone. There may be other chemicals, but I'd be surprised if there are any that are dangerous, and if there are, I doubt if they would still be dangerous after composting. "2. Is newspaper always OK, or do I need to check that my particular newspaper is printed with soy-based ink?" I usually recycle newspaper, but I wouldn't be concerned about composting it. Soy based inks are much cheaper than alternatives and newspapers are cutting costs wherever they can, so it would be rare to find a newspaper that doesn't use soy based ink. If you're concerned, call the newspaper office. "3. I know cardboard rolls need to be shredded. How do you do this? Electric shredder somehow? Scissors? Rip apart with bare hands?" I didn't know cardboard rolls need to be shredded. They'll decompose faster if they are, but they'll still decompose if they aren't. If you shred them, I don't think it matters how you do it, but few of the low end electric shredders would work for very long if fed a steady diet of cardboard rolls.

Are you growing all your own food? The standard for "organic" food in the supermarket does not stop trace amounts of hydrocarbons (or other stuff) getting into vegetables via air, groundwater, or soil. And at least by my reading of USDA standards, "organic compost" (suitable for organic farming) can be sold that is made from paper printed with petroleum-based ink. I sympathize with your worries, but I'm puzzled about how anyone would achieve a diet with no food grown in conditions with even trace amounts of hydrocarbons in the soil. You certainly couldn't rely on "organic" labels. For most of us, composting the cardboard and paper that comes our way is (a) more environmentally responsible than throwing it away and (b) to the extent that it shifts our food intake more toward locally-grown fresh veg, better for our health than what we would eat otherwise. I suggest thinking in terms of reducing and balancing risks. Life is chancy. Enjoy the gardening and the taste of fresh food!