Fire retardants and soft drinks can help reduce CO2 levels. Why? Because they are made from algae.
Now, a US startup is using the environmentally-friendly plant to produce organic, black printing ink. The algae is grown using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide from air.
First, the natural blue pigment phycocyanin is extracted for use in food. Applying a process developed in-house, the rest is dried and turned into ink.
The finished product shares similar characteristics with traditional carbon black (which can also be extracted from old tyres).
Making it suitable as printing ink for paper products, polos shirts and plastic bottles.
Carried on environmentally-friendly shopping bags made from leaves, company slogans could soon be more sustainable than ever.
