"WaltA" wrote in message
...
Variously they did write :
Hi there, can anyone give me ideas for what I can and cannot
compost? I am not putting in meat or fish (Barring prawn shells
and bits of skin). I try to layer with grass clippings and some
cardboard. There are worms and the whole thing seems to be
settling well. I'm having difficulty filling it up!

Are there any definate 'No-No's' or should I soldier on as I am?
Are there things I should definately be adding?

Thank you.

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/orga...compost_pf.php

rob

Good basic info there, but it suggests that newspaper is best avoided
in compost... why? I use quite a bit of newspaper to dry up my
compost, as well as shredded paper - whatever doesn't go to the
recycling bin goes into the compost, and that works quite well for
me. So. why would an organic website advise against newspaper in
compost heaps?

Cat(h)

I think the theory is that the newsprint is made of chemicals which
may be nasty.

Having looked into this I can vouch that it's an urban myth, it's widely
used as pet bedding, namely for small rodents without any ill effects.

I totally agree but the organic crowd do not like it.

I have not researched this in depth personally but I think (have been
told when I was a member of HDRA) there was a time when coloured inks
used (heavy) metals (eg. chromium) but now use organic* dyes instead
so are ok in the compost heap.

* organic in the carbon-based sense, not as in the
back-to-nature/natural sense.


That's certainly true and applied particularly to inks/paints from some Far
Eastern places until about 15 years ago.
Just had a look at the constituents of modern inks and they are frightening
too.