The shift from petroleum-based to vegetable-based inks is one of the most significant environmental improvements in print. Here's what makes them different.
Most people think about paper when they think about sustainable print. Ink gets far less attention — but it matters just as much.
What’s in conventional ink?
Traditional printing inks use petroleum-based oils as their carrier. These are derived from crude oil and during drying release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, contributing to ground-level ozone formation.
What are vegetable-based inks?
Vegetable-based inks replace petroleum oils with plant-derived oils — most commonly soy, linseed, corn or rapeseed. Soy-based inks are the most widely used and are particularly common in litho printing, where they’ve been the industry standard for decades.
The benefits
- Renewable source — plant crops replanted annually
- Lower VOC emissions during drying
- Better de-inking — easier to remove during paper recycling
- Biodegradable — vegetable oils break down naturally
How to specify them
Include “vegetable-based or soy-based inks” in your print brief. All printing.uk verified suppliers confirm their ink type as part of their profile.
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