The right climate helps. California is generally dry. Florida is super humid so it might be a bigger problem there.

I uused to use new paper adds came in the mail.

But isn't newspaper bad? Like toxic? I personally like to use aspen wood shavings because i don't know if the newspaper could be hazardous to the birds. But, is it?

Newspaper is fine. The ink has to be nontoxic because it rubs off on people's hands pretty easily.