"Jdmst" wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone,
I'm about to start composting and I wonder if it is ok to compost paper
such as newspape and cardboard? If you make your own composter, do you
need to raise it off the ground for air circulation?

Also, any pointers to good composting web sites would be appreciated.

Thanks,
John

You're getting a lot of inconsistent advice. That's typical of responses
from a newsgroup. Here's my opinions.
1. Paper: You don't say if you mean newspaper, or any paper. Newspaper
does not compost very well. That's because it has a high lignin content.
For the same reason, it is good to put under mulch to help prevent weeds.
"Office" paper composts very well.
2. Cardboard: It composts very well. Better than office paper, in fact.
Someone also suggested using it as mulch. I also do that. I put cardboard
down in the Fall, and then put about 3 inches of shredded leaves on top. By
the Spring, everything has broken down pretty well.
Several folks said that cardboard contains lots of toxic stuff. I'm not
aware of that. None of the scientific composting sites that I rely upon say
that.
3. On/off ground. Getting air into compost is important, but that's
usually done by turning it. (Turning also mixes it, which is very
important). Other than tumblers, I've never seen compost off the ground,
and don't know how that would work. I've seen it on pallets, but the space
below the pallets fill with compost, so that's really on the ground.
One other thing: The smaller the pieces in your compost, the better it
works. I recommend shredding leaves. Paper should be shredded or otherwise
cut into small pieces.

------------------------------
John Wheeler
Washington, DC
USDA Zone 7