Petroleum based inks emit VOCs which cause great harm to the soil when the printed material with the same enter the soil. These toxins are also released into the environment which can be harmful. Soy ink is an excellent alternative for petroleum based inks. Soy inks are prepared from soybean oil, which is naturally low in VOCs.
It is a mixture of soybean oil, waxes, resins and pigments and does not contain all the heavy metals which are present in petroleum inks.
Soy is a renewable resource and it is relatively easy to grow them. Hence, soy ink is not just very environment friendly but it is also superior to other forms of inks. Inks made from soy are very clear, vibrant and produce a brighter effect. Due to these features many newspapers have now shifted to use soy inks. Around 90% of newspapers in US make use of soy ink. When Los Angeles Times opted to use soy ink, VOC emission got reduced by 200 tons per year. This effort was rewarded by South Coast Air Quality Management District who granted them an air quality award.
Besides these environmental advantages, soy ink spreads effectively on the paper; about 15% further which reduces ink usage as well as printer cleanup costs. The paper printed with soy ink is easier to recycle than other papers using standard ink. Soy inks are easily washable and paper fibers are less damaged. This makes the recycled paper much brighter and fit to use.
Due to many advantages of soy ink, it has now become a unanimous choice of the printing industries in the US. The use of soy ink in US market is 23% today as compared to 5% in 1989. Soy ink production is on a rise, especially in Japan. There are 23 soy ink manufacturing companies in Japan itself out of 28 companies in Asia. Soy based inks can be used in laser as well as inkjet printers.
Soy inks have emerged as a blessing to save the Mother Nature. Hence, greener alternatives are burgeoning and making their way into the industry, with soy ink leading the pack. By using soy ink one can reduce the carbon footprint and help to save the degrading environment.
