The world's most sustainable ink is made from algae cells.

Algae Ink™ is a bio-based and renewable ink made by mixing carbon-negative pigment Algae Black™ into a water-based or vegetable-based carrier. This pigment sequesters more carbon than is used in its production, trapping it in a stable and inert form for hundreds of years. Every kg of Algae Black™ pigment produced keeps ~3 kgs of petroleum (crude oil) from being used. Additionally, because the pigment is carbon negative, 1 kilogram of Algae Black™ can remove -4 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Algae Ink™ has more biorenewable content than any other ink on the market. Offset Algae Ink™ has 83% biorenewable content, and Flexographic Algae Ink™ has 90% biorenewable content.

Petroleum-derived inks versus bio-based printing inks.

Carbon black is a pigment used in the ink, textiles, plastics, and rubber industries. It is derived from the mining and burning heavy petroleum, such as FCC tar, coal tar, or ethylene cracking tar. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), it is a class 2 b carcinogen. Thus, carbon black is hazardous to human health, causes environmental degradation, and is produced using finite resources.

Algae Black™ is a bio-based, renewable, and safe carbon black alternative. Algae biomass waste leftover from farms is diverted from landfills and transformed into tiny black pigments in a dry powder form. These powder pigment particles are then blended into water-based or soy-based ink formulations to create Algae Ink™ printing inks that we use at EcoEnclose. [Source: Living Ink Technologies]

A renewable ink replacement for carbon black ink.

Technically, Algae Black™ pigment can be a replacement whenever carbon black pigment is used. As of 2024, Algae Black™ pigment is actively used in the ink formulations of Flexographic Algae Ink™, Offset Algae Ink™, and Screen Algae Ink™. Living Ink Technologies has also developed formulations for cosmetics, textiles, footwear, and dyes in plastics.

Unfortunately, inks colored with Algae Black™ are currently unavailable for digital printing applications (toner or inkjet). Please reach out if you have a new idea for how your company wants to use Algae Ink™.

Round out your sustainable packaging with the most renewable ink available today.

Soy and water-based describe the ink's "carrier" (the agent that carries pigment onto the printing substrate). The move from solvent carriers to water- and plant-based carriers was great for the environment, but the conventional pigments in these inks are still derived from fossil fuels.

Algae Ink™ is a leap forward in the landscape of sustainable inks, as its pigment (Algae Black™) is biorenewable and derived from algae (algae waste generated by an algae farm from its nutritional supplement production). In addition to this safe, waste stream pigment, Algae Ink™ utilizes water or plant-based carriers, making it the most renewable ink available today.

We have you covered. Whether you go through five million packages a year or just a few hundred, we can incorporate Algae Ink™ into your packaging strategy. Our minimum order quantity is 100 shipping boxes, 500 mailers, 60 rolls of water-activated tape, and 10,000 retail packaging, marketing materials, and notecards. We have no maximum limits—we can meet your needs regardless of volume.

No! Ecoenclose and Living Ink can use Algae Ink™ to print on most paper-based substrates, some poly/plastic substrates, apparel/textiles, and more.

Regarding ink, "recyclability" refers to how easily recyclers can remove the ink from a recycled substrate during the repulping/melting and deinking process. Studies have shown that soy and water-based inks are easier and cleaner to “de-ink” than solvent-based inks. However, thus far, we have not been able to conduct studies on the “de-inking” of water-based and soy-based inks that utilize algae pigments.

Regarding ink, "compostability" refers to how well a substrate composts with a specific type of printing ink. Most paper-based packages are considered compostable, even though inks used to print on them utilize fossil-fuel-derived pigments. This is because inks account for a tiny percentage of the overall package's weight, and this minute amount of contamination is considered acceptable.

As composting becomes more common, we believe people must consider the impact of the small components of their packages, such as inks and adhesives. We are so excited about Algae Ink™ because its Algae Black™ pigment (primarily left on the package) is biorenewable, natural, and, therefore, safer for our soils.

No, Algae Ink™ black pigment meets the performance expectations of traditional carbon black in its intensity and resistance to UV light degradation, meaning it won't fade.

Algae Ink™ is currently exclusively available in black. No other colors are available, but we will share updates here as progress is made and new colors are released.

Due to ink’s nominal volumes on overall packaging, you may only experience a 1-5% increase in price when shifting to Algae Ink™. Depending on the design, it is also possible to achieve price parity compared to conventional petroleum-derived inks. As Living Ink Technologies continues to scale, any price premiums will decline.