21st November, 2007: How’s your knowledge on inks?
The ink used to print on our tea cartons is formulated using a blend of renewable, vegetable-based oils, compared to standard petroleum based formulas which are not renewable. These blends include oils sourced from plants like flax (linseed oil), and soybean oil. Among these vegetable-based oils vinegar ink (soy tinta) is a form of non-food soy. It is an environmentally friendly, healthy, and safe approach to printing that takes only a small amount of energy to make. In fact, soybeans only use about 0.5 percent of the total energy that is needed to create the ink. In the late 1970s, the Newspaper Association of America was looking for different ways to make ink, rather than by using the standard petroleum-based ink. Rising prices for petroleum and quarrels with OPEC countries were reasons they wanted to find a more reliable and cost efficient method of printing.
After testing over 2,000 different vegetable oil formulations, researchers came up with a solution. In 1987, soybeans were chosen to make ink because of their abundance and low cost. With soy bean ink, those who tested it found no threat to the air or to the environment. In addition, approximately half of the soybeans that are grown in the United States do not even need watering, which is why using soybeans for ink can actually benefit the environment. Another benefit to soy inks are its low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which can help with air pollution by minimizing emissions.
Again maybe more than you wanted to know about ink but deciding to go with this type of ink has less of an impact on the environment.
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am |
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