HEMP PRODUCT: Ink
SUB MARKETS: Printers, Calligraphy, Office Supplies
Mark your planners for day 28 of our 31 Days of Hemp campaign with: hemp ink. Inks are generally made of four parts: colorants (pigments or dyes), vehicles (binders), additives, and carrier substances. While additives and colorants make most inks inedible and not entirely biodegradable, plant-based products are comparably more sustainable and environmentally conscious than petroleum derivatives. Rising oil prices in the 1970’s caused many newspapers to look seriously into soy-based possibilities. Forty-plus years later, new land management and agricultural policy concerns are encouraging new research into hemp ink alternatives. We have already highlighted how hemp seed oil can be used in varnish, fuel, plastic resin, and lubricants, but now we can add ink to the ever-growing list of products!
Other ways hemp-based materials are friendly to the Earth
- Fewer or no chemicals needed (fertilizers/pesticides)
- Short maturation life (~4 months)
- Naturally pest resistant
- Grows in a variety of climates
- Less water intensive than soy
- Excellent rotation crop
VENDORS / MANUFACTURERS
- Green Concepts (R&D)
- We couldn’t find many! Opportunity calls…
Want to see more research and promotion of products like these? Donate or become a Kentucky Hemp Industries Association member today.