Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 4 Nov 2008 13:51:03 GMT, Rusty_Hinge
wrote:

The message
from David in Normandy contains these
words:

Can glossy paper junk mail be composted? Are there any harmful
chemicals in such paper? I already compost newspaper type paper and
cardboard, but most of my junk mail is on glossy paper.

Yes, but avoid plastic-coated stuff.

Glossy paper generally contains white clay.

Correct. The high-quality glossy mags in newsagents etc can contain up
to 25% by weight of china clay. It makes up a substantial part of the
ash when such items are burned. Visitors to Cornwall will be familiar
with the 'Cornish Alps', the mountains of waste sand around St.
Austell. These are the result of mining china clay, the greater part
of which was used in the manufacture of paper, not china as the name
would suggest.

As to printing inks, a few decades ago they could been pretty noxious,
but in these days of Health & Safety, both paper manufacturers and
printers have to consider not only the health of their own employees
who use the inks, but they also have to think about what happens to
their products 'down the line', e.g. a small child making a meal of a
glossy mag, food in contact with colourfully printed packaging, or the
disposal of residues from the de-inking processes that are part of
today's paper recycling business. I would be very surprised if modern
printing inks present any hazard whatsoever.

For food packaging, vegetable oil based inks are used. For other/magazine
printing....it's 'other' oil.
--
Pete C
London UK