Colored newspaper ads - We get tons of newspaper based junk mail with local grocer ads and such. I read black and white newspaper is okay, but not color print. Should I avoid shredding the colored ads? Are there harmful chemicals in the ink?

Glossy paper/cardboard - Do people advise against composting this because it takes a long time to break down or because it isn't safe?

Thank you in advance :)

I have two compost piles. One has fruits/veggies/old bread ect....the next one has manure. The first one has high P good for blooming plants. The manure is full of N.

Totally Confused

Colored inks are now soy-based pigments, and not heavy metals.

The "OH NOES" about colored inks and glossy papers is left over advice from who knows when, but printers are not using heavy metal-based inks any more, and have not done so for years. It's too expensive to clean up the presses afterwards.

wertach - I compost cardboard. If I can rip it and it doesn't stretch (like plastic does when you try to rip it) then I compost it. If it is glossy/smooth then I try to tear it or shred it so it will break down faster. I admit that is probably overkill, but it makes me feel better. A side note here, last week I pulled the finished compost out of last year's bin to top dress my planting beds. I had packing/shipping boxes in there early last spring. I remembered to pull off the plastic tape holding the boxes together but I forgot the shipping labels. I found them while spreading the compost, pulled them out and dropped them in the trash. I imagine plastic-coated cardboard would have a similar result.

ApexAZ - I compost shredded newspaper. I'm not worried about toxins or heavy metals. The small amount of those items that might (emphasis on MIGHT) be in the paper does not concern me - mostly because a) I don't believe they are used anymore, and b) the small amount that could make it into my compost compared to other items like grass, UCG, leaves, etc. is probably less toxic than sitting on my porch breathing the exhaust from cars as they drive by.

I don't put diseased plants, waste from meat-eating animals, meat or dairy products in if I can help it. Just because I don't want to be that careful about getting the temps up. I tend to compost warm and slow rather than hot and fast. It is easier for me.

If you are really worried about the toxins in your paper/cardboard then do some research. Find out what company prints your paper or manufactures the cardboard and ask them what kind of chemicals are found in the finished product. Ask the newspaper to give you the material safety data sheets for the ink they use. They will have to have them on file anyway for OSHA requirements.

Asking on this forum is going to give you a wide range of opinions from the most conservative to the uber liberal. One member's facts they post are often contradictory to another member's facts. At some point you are going to have to figure out what YOUR composting views/opinions are and settle in for the ride. I can tell you one thing..My way works - for me. YMMV (your mileage may vary)

What I really wanted to test for was PAH levels (poly-aromatic hydrocarbons). For the life of me, I couldn't find a lab that would test for that on a home (not commerical) scale. Anyone know of one? (That's reputable.)

I am not sure what you mean by 'home' vs. 'commercial' scale. Most environmental labs should be able to test one sample or a hundred. Environmental contractors who test soil at contaminated sites will send varying numbers, sometimes just one or two samples, so the labs are set up to handle that. PAH testing on a soil sample can be a bit expensive though - maybe as much as $100-$150.

Let us know what city/state you are in.

Also, I am curious why you want to test for PAHs - do you have a reason to think they are dangerously high? And what standards would you compare the results to?

-let some of the kitchen waste or garden trimmings dry before adding (coffee grounds dry fairly quickly outside this time of year)
-keep slightly moist, not wet
-turn or stir in the browns (carbons): dry grass, leaves, wood products (chips, shavings, household papers, facial tissues, toilet paper tubes, paper towels, paper napkins, etc.), old hay or straw

We've always been able to get free sweepings from the feed store if you ask, clean up any spills you make, & stay out of the workers way. Any occasional seed sprouting isn't a problem when you mulch.

To collect the paper products in your home have a separate waste can & make it convenient to use. It worked for us to add a step on can in the kitchen for compost materials & a 2nd waste can in the restrooms for the paper products.

When my kids were young & had runny noses I would give then their own box of tissues as well as an empty box for their soiled tissues. If I didn't have an empty box stored away I gave them a paper sack with folded over edges to make "baskets". No more tissues on the floor by the couch & more material for composting!

Composting becomes a habit once you figure out the system for collecting in the house & taking it outside frequently. Don't let it become a chore or no one will want to compost anymore!

My oldest disliked compost most of all, but did her share of "taking it out". Now that she's married she is composting for herself using a worm bin.