shredded paper- best use for?

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shredded paper- best use for?
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sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 8:32 am Post subject: shredded paper- best use for?
Been shredding all my reject printer paper, old letters and so on. Just wondering whether its best to compost this given that there is a fair bit of ink on some of it, or squash it into briquettes for the woodburner (got one of those gadgets for squeezing newspaper into blocks). Any top tips?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 11:27 am Post subject:
Shredded news paper goes well in the compost & the worms don't seem to mind the ink, so I guess it'll be fine.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 12:14 pm Post subject:
I talked to a chap from CAT a few weeks ago and he said that tests had been done on printed paper and the level of toxins that leached out into compost was minimal, well below the safety level. Go ahead and compost it! He also said a heap should be one third scrunched paper & card. If it's dry it's a good idea to wet it a bit before adding it. The CAT produce a good leaflet on composting.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 12:16 pm Post subject:
Sounds like a good way to get rid of it- maybe I'll damp it down with urine- which I've also been meaning to add to the compost just hadn't got round to it yet

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 12:22 pm Post subject:
I'd guess that's the urine you're not using as a mordant...

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 12:36 pm Post subject:
Thats right useful stuff isnt it!

cede

Joined: 25 Mar 2005
Posts: 62
Location: surrey

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 05 6:22 pm Post subject:
hi sally i shred all our paper and junk mail , then it is used as chicken bedding, after which it goes on the compost heap - works very well.

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-�a)

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 7:15 am Post subject: Re: shredded paper- best use for?

sally_in_wales wrote:

Been shredding all my reject printer paper, old letters and so on. Just wondering whether its best to compost this given that there is a fair bit of ink on some of it, or squash it into briquettes for the woodburner (got one of those gadgets for squeezing newspaper into blocks). Any top tips?

I've been wondering about those gadgets. How much work is involved in making the blocks? How do they burn: do they smoulder or flame and does burning ash break off and go up the chimney? Is it just newsprint or can you use glossy paper?

Blue Peter

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 2400
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 11:27 am Post subject:
Mochyn, I read something from CAT about putting scrunched up paper and card etc. into the compost, but what I couldn't work out was whether it included envelopes, glossy paper, cardboard boxes with whatever plastic-type copating them have on them, and so on. I don't suppose that the CAT man mentioned this did he? Cheers, Peter.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 11:49 am Post subject:

Shredding paper and cardboard both make good animal bedding and then the used bedding composts down very well

this reminds me of a summer job I had while at university

It was an initive run between Shell and the local business council putting students on placement in SMEs.

I worked for a environmental consultancy based out of Sowerby Bridge looking at the viability of using worms to compost cow shit

The wanted to look into this to help a local dairy farm who wanted to improve their environmental effect and they already had a good scheme up and running where they took compnaies waste cardboard (which companies are responsible for the disposal of). Had it shredded (by a group who mainly employed adults with learning difficulties) and the sold it as animal bedding. They then collected the used bedding and composted it at the local community farm using worms

It was an interest and worthwhile scheme

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 11:52 am Post subject: Re: shredded paper- best use for?

thos wrote:

sally_in_wales wrote:

They aren't that much work to make. Drying the blocks out takes a fair while. I've just used newsprint for ours. I find that burning them alongside wood works best for us.

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 11:58 am Post subject:
The paper logs tend to smolder a bit, not too keen on them personally, and a lot of work. I have been shredding loads of junk mail and old magazines etc. to use as insulation in the walls and ceiling. Not sure how it compares to Warmcell, but as its free, its no loss. Just add extra thickness, can't harm.

Haddock

Joined: 24 Apr 2005
Posts: 81
Location: Marburg, Germany

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: shredded paper- best use for?

sean wrote:

thos wrote:

sally_in_wales wrote:

They aren't that much work to make. Drying the blocks out takes a fair while. I've just used newsprint for ours. I find that burning them alongside wood works best for us.

Sally

Where is it possible to buy one of these gadgets? I have wood burning Kamin (enclosed fire place) to supplement heating in winter. I supplement the wood with sawdust brickets (comercially bought). I find that this brickettes smoulder at low temps, but really rock at high temps.
I would like to make my own paper brickettes, so any further info would be much appreciated.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 12:51 pm Post subject:
Haddock...one of our members has made his own - I think - at any rate he has instructions on his site: https://www.two3five.com/experiments.htm

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-�a)

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 1:38 pm Post subject: Re: shredded paper- best use for?

Haddock wrote:

Where is it possible to buy one of these gadgets? I have wood burning Kamin (enclosed fire place) to supplement heating in winter. I supplement the wood with sawdust brickets (comercially bought). I find that this brickettes smoulder at low temps, but really rock at high temps.
I would like to make my own paper brickettes, so any further info would be much appreciated.

The one I've been considering is in the Euro Vanadium catalogue.
https://www.eurovanadium.com
They are a French company, but their truck comes to our village about every three months. It doesn't look like they go to Germany though. Sorry.

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