Junk mail is a nuisance that wastes both your time and the planet’s resources. However, if your mailbox is overflowing with junk, there is a way to do something constructive with all of that paper. Compost it! By composting junk mail, you are putting nutrients back into the soil, where they can be used to nourish flowers, vegetables and other garden plants.
Composting is not hard, all you need is the right balance of air, organic materials and moisture, and nature will do the rest. Junk mail can serve an important purpose in your compost pile because it is a “brown” or dry, woody material. That means it balances out “green” materials like kitchen scraps and coffee grounds, keeping your compost heap from turning into a slimy mess.
But is it safe to compost junk mail? In most cases, yes. Years ago, printing companies used inks containing toxins like heavy metals on a regular basis. Now, regulations are much stricter and a lot of the ink used for printing is non-toxic and soy-based. says that “Paper products contain very low levels of contaminants, in most cases below those found in yard waste. No significant problems from including paper in composting have been reported.”
That doesn’t mean you can just toss your unopened junk mail into the compost pile. For best results, follow these steps:
- Remove all plastic, including cellophane windows and fake credit cards, from the junk mail envelopes. Plastic does not compost.
- Tear or shred the mail itself. This is helps the paper break down more quickly and helps prevent identity theft if you are composting unsolicited credit card offers.
- Add junk mail scraps to the compost pile a handful at a time, layering them with “green” compostables like veggie scraps, grass clippings, etc. You want about 50% of each.
- Do not compost glossy advertisements. These are made from inks that have a higher concentration of chemicals in them (although the EPA says they are still safe). They also take a long time to break down.
Finally, do yourself a favor and stop junk mail at the source. Unjunk Mail has a nifty filter that will hook you up with the three most effective “Do Not Mail” lists. Plus, the first 1,500 people to sign up get a set of “Return to Sender” stickers. If your junk mail was sent first class, the mailer has to pay the return postage. Ah, sweet revenge!
What about your compost pile? Well, here’s the thing…there are plenty of other things to compost besides junk mail. Coffee filters, paper towels, leaves, wood chips….the list goes on and on. Your compost pile will do just fine without it.
Author Alison Kroulek is a freelance writer living in Chattanooga, TN. She likes hiking, backpacking, gardening and doing what she can to save the planet.
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