I am a vermicomposter practitioner if you will.

The worm population is very happy. However, I do use the newspapers ( shreded that is ) for bedding and also if I am low or don't have dried leaves, that I usually use to cover the top layer of the bin to somewhat keep the enviromental balance at ease, to absorb excess moisture, and temperature. I do have plenty of papers.. ( our household gets delivered 5-7 papers per day) but mainly use the papers for the explained purpose and also to mulch the pathways within our gardens. -Myself? I would NOT use volume newspapers for vermicomposting at least not the way I have our bins set up. The surplus newpapers I do recycle with the City trash.

I hope this helps

Be well,

Also please make a distinction of all household paper and newspapers.
I am organic gardener, and this year the nespaper mulching was somewhat a negative practive among purest organic gardeners. their concern is the inks use, even though is soy base ink. I refrain from using color glossy ink but the black and white I use it. Pease make a note.

thanks

I was planning on getting rid of nearly ALL paper including color ink. I don't read newspapers but have lots of boxes from food products, some corrogated cardboard from shippments kids old homework computer paper, paper towels, paper plates, toilet paper rolls. I'm sure there is more but I was hoping I could get rid of it all with worms.

I don't mind sifting through the compost and addding the paper back until it is completely gone.

As far and mulching I use BIG boxes from the furnitures store they have worked well for me

I use all my junk mail, kids school paper and most of my newspaper. I just do not use anything shiny. I use this paper in my bins and also in my plant beds, as a weed block, covered over with just enough mulch to block the paper from being seen.

I won't say we compost every scrap of paper, but the huge majority of our paper gets composted. Almost all of the junk mail, all of our out of date papers, used printer paper. We shred it and the worms get a shredder-binful every week. We don't compost our newspaper.

Our city is under mandate to reduce the amount of trash that goes out, by at least 25% now, and that percentage will climb incrementally over the next few years. By composting the majority of our used paper, and most of our biodegradable refuse, I think we are able to reduce our household output by at least 60%. We're only putting our trash out once every 2 weeks, and we used to fill up that bin for a twice weekly pickup.

I think you'd need a fair quantity of worms to consume all of the paper waste AND kitchen waste from the average household. Especially considering the somewhat slow rate that paper and cardboard breaks down in bins.

I'm wondering if this might be better suited to larger outdoor vermicomposting (or regular composting when season and greens permit)?

Someone on GW who was really a close study of the waste stream suggested that purified paper pulp (cardboard, paper, etc) is best (most ecologically) used as paper recycling. We vermicompost our shredded bills and financial stuff.

either is better than it going into the trash. but my locality takes food boxes, weve composted a few, and I worry about seeing the bits of colored paper still lying around.

Abbeys Dad wrote: I'm wondering if this might be better suited to larger outdoor vermicomposting (or regular composting when season and greens permit)?

I am using a large pallet bin for my vermicomposting and I started with 1 pound of worms but I hope the population really gets going with all the "stuff" I have been adding.

I just added 10 loafs of moldy bread the other day.