One post led me to this article which states that newspapers and cardboard are not desireable in compost piles.

http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=793&bhcd2=1169313644

What of this?

As long as we're on the topic, what of xeroxed paper, laser and inkjet inks. Are these nasty? Are there any chemists in this forum who could respond?

Thank you.

"I know that many uninformed sources advise using shredded newspapers and cardboard as the ‘dry browns’ in a compost pile, but: 1) newspaper ink is more toxic than these people realize; 2) newsprint is bleached, creating cancer-causing dioxins; and 3) cardboard contains nasty glues and other chemical ‘fillers’. More importantly, these things contain zero nutrition for your plants. If you don’t have enough leaves, experiment with wood shavings or sawdust. They can be difficult to compost, but are far superior to heavily processed paper products."

First, newspaper ink is almost entirely soy-based, and non-toxic.

Second, all newsprint is not bleached, and bleached paper stock is not necessarily harmful or toxic. The cardstock my plant bands are made with are bleached board, and are completley harmless.

Third, Corrugated cartons are made with starch glues, from plant starch like Corn and Potato. They are 100% biodegradable and non-toxic.

Fourth, in this country, the conditions I describe above are mandated by state and federal legislation, and are monitored by a variety of agencies, like EPA, for manufacturer compliance.

Fifth, No nutes in paper products? Horsehockey! Many of the same nutrients, both micro and macro, found in dried leaves and sawdust or wood shavings are found in paper products. Most of the paper in newsprint and corrugation is from wood pulp. Also, the primary purpose of dry browns in compost is to provide Carbon to the composting process. It's more of an energizer than a feeding process. Nitrogen is the fuel, and Carbon is the spark.

Xerox paper, laser printer ink and inkjet ink. Most of the same legislative controls apply. You can check the composition of the inks by looking at MSDS information from the manufacturers.

Paper borne substances to avoid are shiny coatings on paper (like glossy magazines), and plastic tape on boxes. They don't belong in your compost. Brown paper tapes on cartons from many sources are now fully biodegradable, and use the same plant starch glues found in corrugation.

Some cardboard boxes have wax or plastic coatings; these won't compost. The plastic tape won't compost but it won't hurt anything if you put a box in, it composts and you pull the tape out later. (I've heard you can put in a cardboard coffee cup lined with plastic and later pull out the plastic, still perfectly formed into the cup, but I haven't done it.)

Avoid composting boxes or papers that have fluorescent or metallic inks on them (or fluorescent paper itself) - those pigments can have toxic components.