FABRIC: LIVING INK
Regions: Berthoud, Colorado, USA
Fabric Name:
Algae Black™ pigment for fabrics
Species/Origin:
Algae by-product
Who made our fabric:
Living Ink I Bio-based company, Berthoud, Colorado, USA
Natural history and ecology:
Living Ink is a biomaterials company creating and delivering carbon-negative pigment and ink products from algae. They use their Algae Black™ pigment to create their portfolio of Algae Ink™ products. Algae Black is a bio-based, renewable, and safe carbon black alternative. Algae by-product material is transformed into small black pigments.
Living Ink uses by-product algae material grown at Earthrise Nutritionals, located in Imperial County, California.
What makes this so special:
Algae are grown using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients. Algae, such as spirulina, are grown for a blue colorant called phycocyanin, which is extracted and used as a natural food colorant. The remaining material is considered algae by-product. Living Ink uses this left-over material to make its bio-based black pigment.
Natural Dyes in this fabric…
COMMON NAME: Algae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chlorophyta
PART USED: Whole plant
POTENTIAL MEDICINAL USES:
treating high blood pressure and as a protein supplement. Also used for high levels of cholesterol or other fats (lipids) in the blood, diabetes, obesity, and many other conditions.
“We transform algae cells into renewable, carbon-negative, and safe pigments and inks. Inks range from publication and packaging to textile and footwear.”
— Scott Fulbright/Living Ink
Scott Fulbright
Meet Scott Fulbright, co-founder and CEO of Living Ink. He spent his career building early-stage biotechnology companies. This includes venture-backed Valcent Products Inc., Global Green Solutions, and Solix Biosystems. At Living Ink, Scott focuses on strategic planning, fundraising, and collaborating with brands to incorporate microbial-based materials within their supply chains. Living Ink is a biomaterials company on a mission to use sustainable algae technologies to replace petroleum-derived products and launch carbon-negative products. Carbon Black is the the black pigment that makes materials black such as ink, plastics, leathers, and rubbers. It is made from heavy petroleum and generates a large carbon footprint while being unsafe for humans. Living Ink has developed a sustainable alternative called Algae Black™. It’s made from algae, not petroleum. The innovative pigment is carbon-negative, safe, bio-based, and tells a novel sustainability story.