SIREN environmentally friendly production methods

In anticipation for what could have been the publication printing date next week, I am compiling a research post to detail the environmental production research.

Here are a selection points I found around the benefits of using soy-based ink instead of water-based:

1. Soy Ink is Renewable

One of the biggest environmental issues is whether something can be used for the long term. Some manufactured goods, such as petroleum products, require inputs with a limited supply. These goods might be okay in the short term, but inevitably they will run out at some point in the future. Soy ink, of course, relies on a compound that can be grown and replenished indefinitely - soy oil.

2. Soy is Less Costly to Grow Than Other Alternatives

Other alternatives to soy ink do exist that are also renewable, by relying on other types of plant oils, for example. One of the distinct advantages of soy beans, however, is that the agricultural costs are so low. Soy beans require relatively small amounts of irrigation and fertilizers. Not only are these low costs an advantage for farmers, but they also minimize the load on the environment.

3. Soy Ink is Biodegradable

Almost everything you use will need to be processed as trash at some point. The biggest question is whether it is designed in a way to make disposal easier on the environment. Because soy ink is based on naturally grown soy oil, it can degrade more than four times faster than petroleum-based inks. This simply means that the full life cycle of soy ink is shorter and the total load on the environment is far less.

4. Less Soy Ink is Required for the Same Amount of Print Outs

Soy ink is increasingly being used in large-scale commercial applications, and is now available from environmentally conscious sources. Many professional printers discover that soy ink lasts longer for the same amount of printing, cutting down on the total amount of printer ink they need. This simply means that less ink needs to be manufactured, saving energy costs and the environmental costs of the pigments and other additives to the ink. It also means that there is less ink to be dealt with in trash disposal. Less ink produced, used, and thrown away is always positive for the environment.

5. Soy Ink is Easier to Remove When Recycled

Paper recycling always involves washing out or removing ink so that the paper will be clean and bright for the next use. Soy ink is much easier to remove than the equivalent petroleum-based products. Not only does this mean that the resulting recycled paper is higher quality, but it even helps lower the costs of the entire recycling process. As a result, soy ink is an important example of how our society must reorganize for sustainability. Environmentally responsible manufacturing and consumption requires that we become aware of the entire life cycle of our products. When consumer products are designed and manufactured with environmentally friendly disposal in mind, the total ecological load becomes much smaller. Soy ink represents this kind of wise planning.

6. Soy ink, by all tests, appears the same as water-based in when printed and even is said to be a better medium for pigment colour replication. However, I can't find any examples of specifically a photography book that utilises soy ink so there is little background on that angle but it would be goof to experiment with in future. 

Negatives:

The main minus points are that soy ink takes way long to dry than water based and is harder to source therefore a print company would charge way more due to it's niche nature. This puts me off getting it done a little but I would love to look into doing it at home or at uni if we're allowed back. 

On a separate note, hardback will be better for the environment because it feels less temporary than paper so people are less likely to throw it away. 

Emma is also keep to print on seeded recycled paper which will further the obvious nature of the environmental concerns. I am currently trying to persuade her to just print the business cards on this paper stock though because the details within the paper will interfere with the print and a small print run of the environmentally conscious and permanent print run will still be nearly as good as possible for the environment.