Composting Shredded Paper: Safe, Easy, and Great for Soil

Office paper, newspaper, junk mail—yes, you can compost it all. Modern inks are soy- or carbon-based and harmless.

Keys to Success

• Mix with leaves or grass clippings so paper doesn't mat into an oxygen-blocking layer.
• Shred it first—smaller pieces break down faster.
• Keep it moist like a wrung-out sponge.

Alternative: Sheet Mulch

Spread shredded paper under shrubs/trees, wet it, cover with pine straw. It becomes a weed-blocking "paper mache" that lets water through.

Newspaper Specifics

Atlanta Journal-Constitution uses soy ink—safe for mulch or compost. Glossy inserts? Compost those too.

Paper feeds soil microbes. Just don't let it turn into a soggy brick.