Hi, Without claiming to be an expert on bulb viruses, a quick look at the WWW literature indicates there is no virus danger inherent in composting some paperwhite bulbs. This is because most of the Narcissus viruses are not spread by plant-to-plant touching; therefore, should a bit of paperwhite tissue from the compost pile contact another Narcissus plant, transmission will not occur. Naturally, there are always viruses we don't know about, and new viruses are described all the time. However, I can't recall any virus being transmitted from well composted material to any plant. There is the case of the very sturdy Tobacco Mosaic Virus, that can last a long time in dry leaves or even on greenhouse surfaces, and which can be later transmitted to another plant. However, TMV is an exceptionally durable virus (unusually durable), and I'm not aware of any indication that it can survive composting. To survive, TMV would (I think) need to be in intact tissue, even if the tissue were dry. Composting will destroy tissue and viruses. So, toss your old bulbs into a compost pile and don't worry too much; it should be very safe. If you want extra security, you could heat the paperwhites in a microwave to kill them (3-5 minutes ought to do it) so that there is no chance they will grow in the compost pile. In the very odd case a virus could survive in composted paperwhites and reinfect other Narcissus plants at a later date, I can only speculate that such virus is exceptionally sturdy and easily transmitted. In such case the virus has probably already spread about your home and garden on your hands or cutting tools--so the composting won't be a source of extra danger. But the real point is that such a durable and easily transmitted virus is not known; thus, again there is no reason to worry. Cordially, Joe Conroe TX