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composting shiny paper
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Topic: composting shiny paper (Read 2284 times)
sawfish
Hectare
Posts: 1,059
glasgow dreamer
composting shiny paper
«
on:
March 25, 2008, 22:02:27 »
I'm wondering if I can compost all the shiny leaflets and booklets I get with magazines, such as gardeners world?
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betula
Hectare
Posts: 5,839
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #1 on:
March 25, 2008, 22:14:31 »
All the books say not.Presume it does not rot down well??
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star
Hectare
Posts: 4,070
Northampton, sm greenhouse, heated propagator
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #2 on:
March 25, 2008, 23:09:30 »
I don't put shiny paper in my compost. I believe there are a lot more chemicals used to make the shiny stuff, it does take a lot longer to rot down as well :)
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I was born with nothing and have most of it left.
kt.
Hectare
Posts: 4,805
Teesside
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #3 on:
March 26, 2008, 01:02:49 »
I don't. Cereal boxes and loo rolls mostly, but never shiny paper.
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All you do and all you see is all your life will ever be
woppa30
Half Acre
Posts: 142
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #4 on:
March 26, 2008, 09:08:25 »
I would imagine it would compost eventually, especially if its had a trip through a shredder to increase the surface area. A good soak in water will help as well.
I take all the shredded paper from work and mix it with my compost heap. I do have to make sure it just doesn't form a big wad of damp paper but I am trying to mix the heap up frequently so that all helps. A good mix of green and brown items makes the worms and bugs happy....
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Robert_Brenchley
Hectare
Posts: 15,593
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #5 on:
March 26, 2008, 10:36:58 »
Traditionally the shine is down to kaolin (china clay) in the mix, but I bet they add other things as well. Kaolin is inert and quite harmless; it's also used widely as a food additive.
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Birmingham UK
http://thisandthat-robert.blogspot.com/
twinkletoes
Hectare
Posts: 715
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #6 on:
March 26, 2008, 11:04:07 »
I do that too woppa30 - take shredded paper home from work to put in with the compost. Works a treat.
Twinkletoes
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Mr Smith
Hectare
Posts: 2,087
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #7 on:
March 26, 2008, 11:09:03 »
The shine you see on paper for example 'envelope paper' is put there by being manufactured on an 'MG' paper machine, china clay is indeed used in the paper industry,
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jesssands
Acre
Posts: 413
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #8 on:
March 26, 2008, 11:20:43 »
when I emptied mine the other day, it didn't like the aquafresh boxes I had put in, they were covered in a shiny coating and did not break down hardly at all.
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Mr Smith
Hectare
Posts: 2,087
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #9 on:
March 26, 2008, 11:26:54 »
Jessands,
More than likely that could be a thin vinyl coating on the carton which is at the end of the day a plastic :)
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aromatic
Half Acre
Posts: 245
Lavender flowers yield abundant nectar
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #10 on:
March 27, 2008, 00:38:15 »
:-\ I personally would not compost the shiny paper. I use loo rolls, cardboard etc for the browns for my composters... The shiny paper I put in my recycling boxes for our fortnightly recycling collection via our local council.
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God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. ~Author Unknown
Love aromatic xxx
jennym
Hectare
Posts: 3,329
Essex/Suffolk border
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #11 on:
March 27, 2008, 02:50:40 »
Sounds like shiny paper may one of those things we don't think about - looks good but isn't good if you know what I mean. Especially if its coated with vinyl?
But I did a bit if reading about the processes involved in making paper, and there's something called calendering (I think) which seems to be a sort of rolling polishing process, which also can make the paper shiny. I wish I knew more, perhaps Mr.Smith can fill us in on what "shiny" paper is not coated with plastics?
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Mr Smith
Hectare
Posts: 2,087
Re: composting shiny paper
«
Reply #12 on:
March 27, 2008, 07:30:43 »
Jennm,
The shine what you get on paper like envelope paper is put there by the paper going round a very big steel cylinder drum and a series of calender reels, I would say that a paper with a shine on it would take a while to break down over newsprint, :)
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