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Paper sludge as bedding

jpccusa

jpccusa

Happy with this new hobby
After reading the description and properties of Carefresh (..."Not Recycled Paper:Made from virgin fiber, not recycled paper or residual paper sludge. It contains no inks or solvents found in recycled paper and paper sludge products..."), I came up with a less expensive idea...
If you live nearby a papermill or paper recycling plant, you are probably aware they produce large quantities of paper sludge, which is comprised of the unusable short fibers dredged from the settling tanks during the paper/cardboard recycling process. This material is saturated with the high N glues used to hold together cardboard corrugations, thus, it is actually higher in N than is shredded paper or even shredded cardboard alone.
This sludge is usually used in vermicomposting bins (composting with earthworms), proving that the material is not toxic for the worms.
So here is my question: Have anyone tried to use this free product before? Does anyone see any risk involved in using such material with corn snakes?
 
I saw this before, just don't know how safe it would be. I like using carefresh, others don't. I do know some just keep their snakes on newspaper. But in the manufacturing of paper sludge, I am not sure if any chemicals or solvents are used. I would definitely want to find more out about the process it is made with before using it. If it's not toxic I imagine it would be kind of like carefresh.
 
I live near a Weyerhauser paper mill, I know they do dump everything in a big vat of acid to pulp it (or that's how it's been explained to me- I take outdated tax forms to them every year since it's free as opposed to shredding..) I don't know anything about the process after that though. Would wonder if there is any residual acid left in the stuff. The local mill turns recycled paper into giant rolls of cardboard material that gets shipped to china to be folded up into cardboard flats. Not sure either if that's a different kind of mill.
I don't see why not, but I'd ask them lots of questions first!
 
How could I test the toxicity of that (besides puting a snake on it to see if it survives)?

Wouldn't the vermicomposting worms be an indicator that the material is not harmful? The reason I ask is because I'll start a experimental bin, hoping that the worms will thrive in this material.
 
The only way to test the toxicity aside from putting a snake in to act as a test subject is to have it analyzed by a laboratory for know toxic substances. Worms may be less sensitive to some toxins that snakes are more sensitive to. And so the worms could survive while a snake might get sick. Same with mice or birds. While the cheaper mice and worms would give you an indication of some toxins a lab test would be the most certian.
 
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