glossy paper

[j7art2]

I've heard time and time again not to burn glossy paper. I have a near endless supply of newspapers, and sorting out the glossy stuff would take hours. I've tried my hand at making biomass briquettes and they all have turned out well, glossy paper and all. Is the issue only with units that are not air tight?

 

[CountryBoy19]

I think the issue is with the chemicals and additives uses in the inks for glossy paper. I know very little about the subject but I recall they are much more harmful and polluting than normal inks...

 

[j7art2]

That makes sense.

Then again, I've read of others here burning treated lumber. Pick your poison I guess. Literally?

 

[midwestcoast]

Glossy paper or colored inks on paper, cardboard and paper-board (like cereal boxes) release various toxins when burned. The exact compounds, concentrations & amounts depend on the composition of the inks & other additives to the paper and how it's burned, but the real nastys released are Dioxins and PAH's. Dioxins are powerful carcinogens that are fat soluble and very stable/persistent. In other words they pass into fat cells where they stay and accumulate, bio-concentrating as they move up the food chain, with us at the top getting the biggest doses.
I don't know that you'll find much hard data for how much would be produced in your stove or furnace (because of all the variables) just some generic ranges.
If anyone wants to split hairs they can make the arguement that even burning wood creates toxins, but it's a false equivalence. The ranges of emissions from burning wood are way below those from burning garbage. Burning dry wood properly in and EPA approved device cuts those emission dramatically lower again.
Oh, and I'd bet that you'll also get dioxin concentrating in your wood ash. Mmm, good fertilizer for the veggie garden!
I don't see how it's even close to worth it.

 

[GENECOP]

I shred All paper, colored, non colored, cardboard, etc...I then soak it in water, add sawdust from my shop, mix it all together, let it sit for 4-9 days, then press it into bricks, they burn great....

 

[DougA]

From my memory long ago, I think glossy paper is regular paper with a clay based coating. Most ink these days is vegetable based and non-toxic. I burn 24/7 and rarely use paper at all so it all goes into the recycle bin. Funny though that the recycle people in our area won't take good paper (bond paper for laser/inkjet) even though it is more valuable.

 

[j7art2]

Like I mentioned, I get a near endless supply of newspapers. Most are already rolled in 'logs' if you will. Since I'm a bit short on wood this year, I've been tossing in rolled newspapers 10 at a time for heat instead of using wood. It produces a TON of ash, but gives off good heat, and all of that newspaper (literally 100lbs or more a week) would be otherwise just thrown in the trash.

I don't use ash for the garden. I have chickens.

Chicken fertilizer is some of the best stuff you can get!

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Components in gloss paper and colored inks, in addition to putting nasty things into the air, can cause problems for catalyst equipped stoves.

 

[blades]

You are correct in the memory that glossy or slick paper has a clay based coating or as a component of it's origin.

 

[j7art2]

If glossy paper is clay based, is there a reason for concern?

I'm wondering if this has the same roots as 'never burn pine'. In the days of 'never burn pine' people burned green. Obviously burning pine when green is a bad idea. Burning properly seasoned pine actually produces less creosote than most hardwood. Did early glossy paper too have toxicity levels that raised concern, which essentially was just passed down to us as generational wood burners because that's what previous generations did?

Just a random thought I had.

 

[midwestcoast]

Dioxins & PAHs aren't just sitting in the paper & then released when it's burned. They are created by incomplete combustion. Just like how the pitch in pine is not creosote sitting there, waiting to jump on your chimney, it's burning wet pine (low temps, incomplete combustion) that creates the smoke, which condenses as creosote...
Clay doesn't burn too good, so the paper smolders. Harder to get complete combustion, especially in a residential wood burning device. Is it possible to burn it cleanly? Sure. Is it possible in your furnace? Dunno.
Is it actually happening under the conditions you're creating? I would bet against it.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Why would you consider burning other things in a wood burning stove.....

 

[velvetfoot]

I shred All paper, colored, non colored, cardboard, etc..

May I ask what you use to do that?

 

[GENECOP]

May I ask what you use to do that?

Just a decent quality paper shredder.....The cardboard has to be sized properly according to thickness or the shredder will struggle and jam, but if you manage the length and width of the thick stock, you are good to go. Everything then goes into garbage cans full of water, then soaks a few days. After that I put the pulp into a press I purchased on Amazon...I modifeid the press process to include a piston jack, if you want a photo, happy to post it....I also build a solar dryer, in the summer the dryer gets up to 130-140, bricks dry pretty quickly....