Living Ink: How to print sustainably
“It always seems impossible until it is done.” – Nelson Mandela.
Inspired by this quote, we decided to start introducing you to startups in the circular economy which have shown the courage to disrupt business as usual. We look forward to presenting you innovative and sustainable products, technologies and services on a regular basis. Contact us now if you want to be featured, too!
When hitting the print button nowadays, many of us tend to think about the amount of paper that is being used or how to go about the recycling of ink cartridges. But did you ever wonder about traditional ink and its effect on the environment?
We didn’t... or to be more precise: we weren’t aware of the reasons why ink is harming the environment. In fact, there are two reasons. First, traditional ink is petroleum based, meaning that it derives from crude oil, a natural but also nonrenewable resource. Second, petroleum is a toxic and flammable liquid and once it dries as ink, it emits volatile organic compounds.
While researching about ink and ideas to limit its use, we stumbled upon an interesting campaign named “Ecobranding”, initiated by the French graphic designer Sylvain Boyer. He calls upon big brands to use less ink for their logos which could result in saving millions of dollars a year for printing costs. How? By slightly adapting the logo. The redesign can result in a reduced ink usage ranging from 10 to 39 percent. Follow this link to read the complete article on CNN.
An even better alternative to reducing the amount of (traditional) ink, though, is to look for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives such as developed by the US startup Living Ink. The biomaterials company uses an algae technology to replace petroleum-derived products. Read more on their website www.livingink.co.