From your house

Most types of paper and cardboard make excellent compost

ingredients. Large quantities of flat paper should be avoided, and

in any case are more suitable for conventional recycling. However,

such materials may be used in moderation if you are short of other

types of waste paper—printing inks no longer contain toxic

heavy metals.

Better for compost are those types of paper that are harder

to recycle, such as used tissues and cereal boxes. Birthdays are

bonanza times for the serious composter, with all that wrapping

paper. Cardboard with laminated plastic should be avoided: the

cardboard will compost okay, but you will have the annoying job

of fishing the plastic out of the finished compost.

And if you’re alarmed by media stories of identity theft and

are worried about what to do with all those old bank statements

and credit-card bills, here’s the perfect solution—compost them.

What goes in Cardboard packaging, egg cartons, old

greeting cards, shredded documents, toilet-paper rolls, used

tissues and kitchen towels, waxed paper, wrapping paper.

What stays out Laminated cardboard such as juice and

milk cartons, large quantities of newspaper, telephone

directories, very shiny magazines.