can you compost newspaper?
Yes — shredded newspaper is a dependable brown, and modern soy-based inks are compost-safe.
breaks down in 6 weeks–3 months shredded and kept fluffy
C:N ≈ 175:1
which bins can take it?
- hot pile yes
- cold pile yes
- worm bin yes
- bokashi no
- tumbler yes
- curbside yes
- worm bin: A classic worm-bin bedding — moisten strips to wrung-out-sponge dampness.
why?
Newsprint is mechanically pulped wood running about 175:1 carbon to nitrogen, and shredding is the whole game: strips break down in weeks, while flat layered sheets plaster into airtight mats that can survive a year. The old worry about toxic inks is outdated — US newspapers switched to soy- and water-based inks in the 1980s.
how to prep it
- Tear or shred into strips no wider than an inch
- Fluff the shreds so they don't nest into mats
- Pull out glossy inserts and ad circulars first
often confused with
- Glossy inserts — The slick ad circulars tucked inside the paper are clay-coated stock — pull those and recycle them.
quick answers
Is newspaper ink toxic to compost or worms?
Not anymore. American papers moved to soy- and water-based inks decades ago, and extension programs list shredded newsprint as standard worm bedding. Truly old papers from the lead-ink era belong in recycling, not the bin.
How much newspaper is too much for one pile?
Keep it to roughly a third of the pile by volume and alternate it with greens. Newsprint alone packs down, sheds water, and starves the pile of nitrogen, so it works best as a supporting player.