Thank you all for your feedback.
Two weeks later my paper crete-less weed mats are holding up well. A little shrinkage, which is to be expected. I tried to upload new photos, but it looks like Yahoo is having server issues this morning, so I'll try the uploads again later.
To reply to the other comments:
>>termites<<
I thought of this too-- just after I finished a large bed next to my house. It's a good idea to keep wood piles away from your foundation as a means to discourage termites, so here I am pouring a barrel of paper slurry into my flower beds!
I'd think a natural additive such as Borax would help ward off the termites, but I need to research what that would do to the soil around the plants. Anyone have any ideas? Would adding a touch of portland to the mix change the "flavor" appreciably?
>>paper sources<<
My paper comes from family sources and one of their offices, so I'm confident it's "clean" as far as waste paper goes and has not been used in conjunction with toxins.
>> toxins in paper manufacturing <<
This is a tough one. I'd agree that if I made paper weed mats for my vegetable beds, I wouldn't want toxins from the paper processing leeching into my food.
But on the other hand, it appears that almost anything that touches our food these days is a potential source of contamination too, including "approved" pesticides, fertilizers, and cookware. Even "natural" sources, such as cow manure, could contain trace chemicals.
It reminds me of the larger "modern ways" versus "old ways" debate. Modern food processing and packaging can introduce new exposure risks, but without them we increase the risk of natural pathogens that we know to be hazardous to human health.
So where do we draw the line between "potential" risk and "probable" risk?
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