Printing with Soy Ink is NOT Green Printing

We talk a lot about “green printing” and what it means to be environmentally responsible. This is a topic that has always been important to us. Universal Printing has been a leader and innovator in aggressive environmentally responsible printing practices for over 30 years.

This blog is dedicated to discussing the Soy Bean/Soy Ink “Bait-N-Switch.” Some might wonder, “What did soy beans ever do to you?” Well sorry, little soybean… my problem isn’t with you; It’s with your most vocal lobbyist and cheerleader, the American Soybean Association.  For over 90 years, this body has worked to champion the rights of America soybean farmers, a noble cause that I find no fault with. Farmers are a vital part of our society, our history, and our economy.

But here is where the ASA went wrong…  when they tried to become a Brand.  During the 1980’s, the ASA officially set their requirements for using their Soy Ink seal on products. In the case of printing ink, the requirement was that at least 20% of the oil used come from soy.  The rest can be whatever… petroleum or petroleum byproducts, anything at all… as long as 20% is soy. Granted, it was a step in the right direction, and that was 1980.  Now it’s 2010, folks, and we can do better!

I’ll hand it to the ASA, though. They’ve marketed their brand extremely well. Even still, we have customers that will talk about soy ink when they want to be “eco-friendly.” Most people who work in the industry will even fall back on that old standard. 

But here at Universal Printing, we know there are better, cleaner, more reliable inks available.  Our inks are linseed oil based, like the linseed oil that’s been used for centuries by artists and craftsmen alike.  It’s 100% vegetable, fully biodegradable, and the pigments are allowed to remain bright and vivid. It’s just great stuff.  It’s helped is maintain our GRACoL G7 standards, allowed us to win national-level printing awards, and is a cornerstone in our environmental responsibility campaigns.

So, sorry soybean, it’s not that you’re bad: We’re just not right for each other.  If it’s any consolation… we may not like soy oil or soy ink, but we’re still big fans of soy sauce! Hmm..  perhaps some Chinese take-out for dinner later.