I would not worry about the newspaper it is fine. Been using it for years. I don't think that they could switch back to the posion inks even if they wanted to from the liability standpoint with kids and everyone handling the newsprint all of the time. I don't buy nuthin!

I believe I read that using plain old newspaper, mostly black ink, wasn't a problem but you shouldn't include coloured ads and things like that. I used newspaper when I first started my bin and didn't have any trouble. I see no reason to spend money when you can recycle something else and have yet to read of anyone's bins failing on a mass scale for use of newspaper.

Newspaper is OK. You answered your own question when you said your worm guru wanted to buy his coir. I would find a new guru.

Marshall

yeah, yer guru is g-rong there is NO ink or paper product that will kill worms, use any newspaper, office paper, junk mail, or cardboard and your worms will be happy

Bill

I was concerned about that too, so I emailed both my local newspapers and asked them what kind of ink they use, and it's soy, including the color print.

However, I don't think you're supposed to use the slick paper ads in the bins, so I just recycle those.

You could ask your newspaper what kind of ink they use, to ease your mind. And by the way, even if you didn't use newspaper for bedding, you still wouldn't have to spend money. I frequently use shredded leaves. He wanted to make a sale!

Deanna

The problem with the glossy adds and other glossy paper might not be the ink but the glossy coating that tends to keep them from breaking down. I've been using all sorts of shredded paper products in my composting and in the worm bin. I notice that the glossy color paper and paperboard are sometimes still there a long time later (like after a year in the compost pile.) They might not kill your worms but it certainly won't make what you put in the garden look quite right. Anyway, we still shred almost all paper products that come our way and it is either cover in the compost pile or bedding for the worms. Except those paper egg cartons, they are just way too good as seed starting post since you can just cut them apart to transplant, just like those $$peat pots.

Thank you all for you insight. You've made me feel good about my decision.