Is it better for the environment to burn paper and compost the ashes, or throw it away?

Question

My county does not have any paper recycling options. I know you can compost shredded newspaper, but I make a lot of waste paper (I'm a teacher) and I can't afford a shredder. I can burn the documents and add the ashes to my regular compost, but I don't know if doing that is better or worse than just throwing it away because of gases the combustion might produce.

Also, does the type of paper matter? Regular printer paper, shiny paper, newsprint, advertising mailers, etc?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Do you have any horse stables nearby? They use shredded paper for bedding. I'm sure they would be more than happy to receive a regular supply from you :)

Answer 2

I use paper in the garden as a weed block layer, when the growing season is over I turn it into the soil. I try to keep only soy based inks near the edibles, but I don't really care about what goes around the ornimentals.

Have you checked www.earth911.org for recycle centers.  

Answer 3

You could throw out the papers by putting them in a big brown paper bag.  Don't put them in a plastic bag, as that takes so long to break down in a landfill, but in a paper bag in the landfill the papers will compost in the landfill and this is a more eco-friendly option. (I think)    

Answer 4

Paper generally is slightly acidic, however, depending on the kind of paper, it might be treated with chemicals for some special purpose, and trying to find out all the treatments a piece of paper has undergone and thereby know if it would be harmful or helpful would be too costly.

As mentioned already, fire will break down the paper, no need to really compost it, unless you need filler for an already existing compost heap

It would take longer to naturally let it decay but burning might release elements of pollutants into the air, depending on the volume of paper you burn.

Either way, burning might be the best solution since there is no recycling in your area.

Answer 5

Hello,

Try doing this as I garden and it works out great.

1.  Run the paper through a shredder.

2.  Place in a compost bin.

3.  Pour some outdated milk with some sugar added to it on top.

Most paper will break down. The milk will provide the bacteria neccessary to break down and compost the paper and the surgar will speed up the process by feeding the bacteria. Presto you have compost! You can also mix in kitchen scraps and coffee grounds to make an even richer compost. No need to burn! I hope this helps. :)

Answer 6

compost the papers and throw it in your garden or landscape.

Answer 7

You don't need to compost ashes, the fire has already broken the paper down. Mixing them in with soil will add lots of minerals and nutrients that make the soil great for growing root vegetables like carrots and radishes. I usually mix my BBQ and fireplace ashes right into my planter beds in the spring and it works great!

Answer 8

Take it to a recycling center.  Many curbside programs will let you put it in with the newspaper.

Answer 9

plain paper decomposes and can recycle some nutrients, so the best is to compost it, and while shredding is awesome, my workplace does not always do that, as long as you compost is moist enough

burning it would be better for the landfill, but there is enough c**p in the air, and same as with driving, if everyone does it, its a problem

ask the place your paper comes from, like office stores because sometimes they have programs and can give you discounts of future paper, its a pretty sweet deal