Why are soy-based inks better than petroleum-based inks?
Soy-based inks come from soybean oils. It is a renewable resource. However, the most important difference is the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) released into the atmosphere. Soy-based inks release 82% fewer VOC’s than petroleum-based inks. Also, the cleaning of the printers is much less toxic. My presses can be cleaned with simple vegetable oil as opposed to mineral spirits and other highly dangerous chemicals. Designs made with soy-based inks are also easier to biodegrade and recycle. What is acid free/chlorine free paper? Chlorine is the bleach we all know, and probably use, that makes everything bright white. But bleach, when used, turns into dioxins which are highly toxic, even at very low levels. Dioxins do not break down in the environment and they accumulate in the human tissue. Dioxins are highly dangerous and have been linked to reproductive problems and genetic damage. The best paper to find is Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) which uses hydrogen peroxide to bleach t
