Greener choice for shredded office paper

maupin

16 years ago

Which is the greener choice?

1. Use in my compost pile of all green to get some carbon content to make compost to fertilize my organic garden, or

2. Drive my truck 20 miles (extra) each way to recycle it.

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Comments (12)

rocket_girl
16 years ago
I vote for #1 - composting it as a brown requires no extra energy.

Recycling uses the energy to transport to a recycling center, make new paper, transport it back to market, where in all likelyhood it would eventually end up in a landfill eventually.
david52 Zone 6
16 years ago
Compost. Which reminds me of my method of composting newspaper that works well out here in the very arid environment. I use a plastic tub and bulb auger with an electric drill, and turn the newspaper into a slurry, like for paper machÃ©. Thats the only way I can get it to break down along with the other stuff.

I find newspaper in my compost piles 3 years old that are still legible.
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sjerin
16 years ago
What about the ink? As the paper decomposes, the chemicals in the ink must stay put in the pile.
trancegemini_wa
16 years ago
I say compost it. youll just be wasting fuel by recycling, besides theres plenty of people who can recycle their paper and dont have to drive anywhere to do it.
squeeze
16 years ago
sjerin - the inks on the majority of newsprint and inkjets are veg based and not a problem - the glossy surface stuff is a clay coating ..... generally if you aren't quite close to a recycling center or don't have curbside pickup, the best use is compost, where the carbon gets sequestered .... office paper actually degrades faster than newsprint due to the fact that the lignan content is lower [the 'tough' part of the wood fibre]

Bill
sjerin
16 years ago
Hey squeeze, your's is the first time I've ever had an answer to that question-- thanks! I'm a little surprised because from time to time when I open the newspaper I detect a chemical smell. What you say is so good to know.
calliope
16 years ago
I actually recycle my shredded paper and then compost it. I have a flock of laying hens and the shredded paper makes a great nesting material for their laying boxes. When it does get soiled or matted down, then it goes with the rest of the chicken waste to the manure composting pile and then used again on the garden in winter to be ploughed under in spring How's that for making the most of waste paper? LOL. The high carbon content of the paper sort of balances out the high nitrogen content of the chicky poo and my garden just gets better tilth each year. It went from hard clay twenty years ago to soft earth a foot deep and I can finally grow lovely spuds and carrots.
gurley157fs
16 years ago
Thanks for the tip on the paper for chicken bedding.

I have LOADS AND LOADS of shredded paper at the office. I never thought about using it for bedding for my chicks.
calliope
16 years ago
Just be careful when there are young chicks in there, they'll eat it. LOL. I used straw or hay for the floors, but the paper is fine for the boxes and really helps to keep the eggs clean. I use shredded paper for packing breakables for storage, and also when I post things through the mail for packing. It's so much kinder than plastic peanuts and compost material when it gets to the recipient.
playsinthedirt20
16 years ago
One more question: I know that newspapers used soy-based inks, but what about the ink from ink-jet cartridges? Is it toxic,and would it cause harm to the compost pile?
steve_o
16 years ago
what about the ink from ink-jet cartridges? Is it toxic

Ink-jet ink is not toxic. There are no issues in composting ink-jet-printed paper.
bobr63
14 years ago
Ink-jet ink is not toxic. What about toner from copiers and laser printers? Is it safe to compost for use in a vegetable garden?

Greener choice for shredded office paper

Comments (12)

rocket_girl

david52 Zone 6

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