Toner and shredded paper

[H.R.]

Hi all,

Are you aware of any dangers with using shredded paper in the compost bin?  Specifically, I'm thinking of paper that was run through a laser jet printer --- most them use toner for ink.  My understanding is that toner is carcinogenic.  I'm thinking of what that means should I introduce it to my soil.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Best,
H.

[Rusty]

Hi -
We have been using shredded paper in our worm bin for a few years, with no detriment (as far as I know) to our worms. We haven't used the compost in a garden, so it doesn't end up back in the human food chain.

I'll be interested to know if we shouldn't be doing this!

Rusty

[H.R.]

Thanks, Rusty.  I did a bit more research and the jury appears to be out on this one.  Toner seems to be most dangerous before being applied; i.e., in "dust" form.  The consensus is that it really is a type of plastic, which leads me to believe that it is not as dangerous once placed onto paper.  That said, some people have opted to use this paper in their compost bins, which then ends up their gardens.  It's not clear what the long term affects are, but I can't imagine that toner could somehow be "sucked" into garden veggies. :)

[Lauren Angelo]

Really interesting to hear that the dust form of toner is the most dangerous... 

My husband -- who is really sensitive to toxins and dangerous air particles -- practically won't allow me to use our shredder, and I'm not sure if it's because of something in the shredder itself or because of the particles released during the shredding process.