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Sophie Benson
Inks run the gamut from being fossil fuel-based to vegetable-based, from polluting to readily biodegradable, and a huge selection of traditional and developing printing processes offer a multitude of options which can both hinder and help recycling.
Printing, which includes the use of inks, varnishes, and washing solutions, among other products, can involve high concentrations of volatile organic compounds, and hazardous air pollutants. In people, long term exposure to them can cause nausea, fatigue, dizziness, damage to the central nervous system, and cancer. Environmentally, they can lead to the creation of ozone, cause smog, disrupt ecosystems, and negatively affect plants and crops. Solvent-based inks for flexo, gravure, and screen printing contain particularly high levels of VOCs.
Some sustainable choices are a trade-off but using plant-based inks such as soy ink rather than petroleum-based products is actually a step-up in quality. While it takes longer to dry, soy ink is a low-VOC option which provides more accurate colours and a sharper finish. It also uses less ink, is more stable, and makes recycling easier. It’s a popular choice for newspapers but is also ideal for paper packaging, labels, and cardboard mailer boxes.
While considering the specifics of different printing techniques and inks, it’s easy to forget that printing can consume a huge amount of plastic in the form of ink and toner cartridges. It’s estimated that around 1.1 billion ink cartridges are used each year and approximately 375 million of them are thrown into landfill. Luckily, cartridge-free printing processes such as inkless carbonisation are in development, while for certain processes like offset printing, ink can be purchased in large metal drums.
Paper is favoured for its ability to biodegrade or compost, however the inks you choose could compromise that. Conventional ink is made from varnish, oil, and pigments. If paper reaches the natural environment, the oil, plus the heavy metals or inorganic matter which can be found in pigments, can contribute to environmental pollution. Natural inks manufactured using soya, sunseed oil, or rapeseed oil are generally considered to be biodegradable, however this depends on which pigments and additives are used.
Digital printing requires cartridges for ink and toner and can be energy intensive, however offset printing requires more chemicals and more water both for printing and to clean the printing plates. LED UV printing dries ink in a split second, requiring less power and less ink, but the inks can be difficult to detach during the de-inking process. There is no one perfect process, rather the right process for each individual project depending on volumes, required finishes, and end-of-life.
Living Ink makes ‘Algae Black’ a bio-based, renewable alternative to Carbon Black, a hazardous, carcinogenic pigment used within many industries, derived from heavy petroleum. The company’s ink is made from Algae Black and at large-scale production it is carbon neutral due to algae’s ability to absorb atmospheric carbon.
The carbon is, in effect, ‘locked’ into the pigment. Living Ink creates screen printing ink for textiles and fine art applications, offset ink, flexographic ink suitable for corrugated and carton substrates, and UV screen ink, all of which can be used on standard printers. Living Ink’s brand partners include Patagonia adidas, Marmot, and PVH.
