How to Compost Office Paper

According to Barbara Pleasant, contributing editor at "Mother Earth News," you should use composted office paper only for non-food gardening, because chemicals introduced by bleached paper and copy machine toners may enter food crops. However, composting often breaks down many man-made chemicals, so making compost from office paper can prove beneficial in removing chemicals at the same time as you create a fertilizer for your flower garden or lawn. It is also a way to keep office waste from entering the landfill.

Things You'll Need

• Office paper
• Paper shredder
• Nitrogen fertilizer
• Pitchfork

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Instructions

• 1

  Shred the office paper. Place the number of sheets recommended by the shredder manufacturer into the machine, and turn it on. As you finish shredding one batch of paper, move on to the next, until all the paper you desire to compost is shredded.

• 2

  Place the shredded office paper into the compost container.

• 3

  Add nitrogen fertilizer to the office paper. For every bushel of shredded paper, add ¼ to ½ cup fertilizer.

• 4

  Stir the paper and fertilizer well, using a pitchfork or whatever you commonly use to turn your compost.