Subject: Re: newspaper mulch
From: Rev Chuck <cdu.b@erolls.com>
Organization: Erol's Internet Services
Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 20:35:19 -0700
Message-ID: <MOD$980523.9875@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$980523.21248@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
Black newspaper inks are a mixture of carbon black pigment, an oil
binder, either mineral oil (same as baby oil minus the fragrances) or
soy oil, and a volatile solvent, usually petrol-based mineral spirits.
The solvent is the worst part, but it will have completely evaporated
by the time the paper leaves the printer.
Economics dictates that the ink be as cheap as possible. This is
probably the ultimate disposable mass-produced durable consumer good,
obsolete within less than a day.
Bill Robinson wrote:
>
> jmhinds @mindspring.com asks:
>
> >.... if newspaper mulch between rows in the garden would
> >be considered organic.
>
> I think the problem is that there is no really tight definition of
> "organic" that is acceptable to everyone. We have used as our
> working definition for the rec.gardens.ecosystems' FAQ,
> "the use of environmentally friendly materials and the use of
> environmentally friendly cultural practices." There was a
> lot of thought and a lot of discussion that went into that definition
> and it seems to be pretty much on target.
>
> The use of newspaper as a mulch may or may not be "organic"
> because the materials in newspaper may or may not be environmentally
> friendly. Most black ink used in most newspaper is soy based which
> would probably be O.K. rehgarding environmental friendleness but a
> lot of the colored inks do use heavy metals which would create some
> problem.
>
> The OCIA's certification standard is probably as good an organic
> standard as therte is and it does not address the use of newspaper
> as a mulch, per se, but does say that organic mulches can be used
> if their content can be established as environmentally friendly. Again,
> this would depend on newspaper content . . . bottom line, if there are
> problem inks present in the newspaper, the practice would probably
> not be "organic".
>
> All things considered, since one doesn't know which inks were used,
> it s probably not a good idea to use them between rows of edible
> crops and is probably not a good idea for general soil safety. Heavy
> metals are no joke.
>
>
> Bill
>
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