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Are shredded newspapers safe?

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Steve.B

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Are shredded newspapers safe?
« on: July 11, 2010, 12:25 »
I was just about to shred a load of newspapers to dig into the plot when I remembered that somewhere I read that the ink was a baddie? Is the ink on newspapers OK and the ink they use on glossy mags the baddie? Had a search but could not find anything.
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Trillium

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2010, 14:44 »
Newspapers are safe to shred into the garden as the inks used are now soy based and safe. However, glossy papers are not as they have some sort of clay based ingredient in them. Recycle the glossies.
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Steve.B

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2010, 15:48 »
Thanks, I think the Black is/was called Archive Black?
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zazen999

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2010, 16:37 »
Quote from: Trillium on July 11, 2010, 14:44
Newspapers are safe to shred into the garden as the inks used are now soy based and safe. However, glossy papers are not as they have some sort of clay based ingredient in them. Recycle the glossies.

Garden Organic in the UK say that glossies are perfectly safe to compost.

Even if they had a clay ingredient; so has my lottie - tons of the stuff!  :D
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DavidT

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2010, 18:38 »
Quote from: Trillium on July 11, 2010, 14:44
Newspapers are safe to shred into the garden as the inks used are now soy based and safe. However, glossy papers are not as they have some sort of clay based ingredient in them. Recycle the glossies.

If it`s CLAY based, then surely it is organic? :D
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peapod

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2010, 19:10 »
Quote from: zazen999 on July 11, 2010, 16:37
Quote from: Trillium on July 11, 2010, 14:44
Newspapers are safe to shred into the garden as the inks used are now soy based and safe. However, glossy papers are not as they have some sort of clay based ingredient in them. Recycle the glossies.


Garden Organic in the UK say that glossies are perfectly safe to compost.

Even if they had a clay ingredient; so has my lottie - tons of the stuff!  :D

I'd second that, it did used to be the case that glossies could contain tiny amounts of lead in their ink that made them possibly unsafe to compost, so it was a rule of thumb to just recycle.  These are no longer used in the main (though I never compost glossy junk mail just in case)
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jazzbyrd

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2010, 20:55 »
Would shredded  glossy magazines be okay for use around my strawberry plants ?
Jazz
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Slowgrind

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2010, 20:55 »
Saw a picture of a hand that had been jammed in a paper shredder last week.
Don't ask me how, looked like it had been attacked with an egg slice!!
Be careful out there!!!      (first aid course last week for me)                      :wub:
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peapod

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2010, 20:56 »
Quote from: jazzbyrd on July 11, 2010, 20:55
Would shredded  glossy magazines be okay for use around my strawberry plants ?
Jazz

Thats a good idea! I'm nicking that  :lol:
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Sideshoot

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2010, 06:21 »
At last a question im qualified to answer lol
I used to be a printer for the mirror until redunancy last year, the inks used in newpaper printing (coldset printing) are mostly linseed oil with pigments added for colour.
Whether linseed oil is good or bad for plants i'll leave to the experts  :blush:

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Babstreefern

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2010, 08:44 »
I remember the good old days when fish and chips were wrapped in newspapers, and believe me, they were the best you could ever get, I've never tasted fish and chips like them since :D.  Mind you that's when proper ink was used, not the ink of today.
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Ivor Backache

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2010, 10:27 »
Quote from: jazzbyrd on July 11, 2010, 20:55
Would shredded  glossy magazines be okay for use around my strawberry plants ?
Jazz

Yes. This year I have tried thick quality catalogue paper (kitchens , cars etc.) It has worked very well. Need to get used to a white strawberry patch .
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aelf

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2010, 16:45 »
The clay in glossy paper is china clay and was probably excavated from an open cast pit in Cornwall. China clay also turns up in (amongst other things) toothpaste and is inert. It won't do the soil any harm. Worms love shredded paper - stick it in the compost bin and they will make short work of it  :)
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Ivor Backache

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2010, 12:02 »
There is no need to shred them. Leave them out in the rain and the paper will be soft enough to rip by hand. Mix the paper with equal amount of green material to get a balance.
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SUTTY1

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Re: Are shredded newspapers safe?
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2010, 23:15 »
White strawberry patch sounds good. Reflects more light and should help them rippen!!!!
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