permaculture

[Russ Grayson <pacedge@magna.com.au>]

On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 01:08  PM, Rick Valley wrote:
> I've had a criticism of sheet mulching, to whit, newspaper is full of lead

What lead? This story has been doing the rounds for a couple decades. I assume they are referring to the use of lead type. Lead type ended - I can only talk about the situation in Australia here - in the mid-1980s. Most modern inks used in newsprint are primarily carbon-based, some soy-based. 

There was also concern over the dyes used to print colour pages in newspaper. My understanding is that colour on newsprint is ok, but the glossy advertising inserts in colour are an unknown quantity as the composition of their inks may contain chemicals that, maybe, could be polluting. My question is - do the bacteria in soil or compost, the little creatures that break down even toxic compounds, also break down and render harmless the inks used on glossy advertising and similar copy?

Incidentally, 40% of newsprint used in newspapers in Australia is recycled from old newspaper in a scheme introduced by newspaper publishers some years ago.

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Russ Grayson
Media services:  journalism-print/ online/ photo
pacedge@magna.com.au  Phone/ fax: 02 9588 6931
PO Box 446 Kogarah NSW 2217 Australia
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