Let us introduce you to our eco-conscious ink caps! Like all of our products, they are 100% plant-based and 100% plastic-free.
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We have just introduced new and improved packaging bags for our ink caps, following recent customer feedback. There's still a few packs of small ink caps in the old packaging to be sold, but the new packaging is darker green and thicker, so you'll know when you've got it! You can read more about the new packaging in News & Updates.
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Our ink caps are available in three sizes - small (11mm) medium (14mm) and large (17mm), and come in a handy refill pack of 100, which can easily be dispensed into your own reusable container.
These aren’t just eco ink caps, they are also premium quality - they aren’t made from cheap, flimsy materials and they also feature a stable bottom base and ridged edges for easier handling.
Our ink caps also have a light green tint which makes them easy to distinguish from regular plastic products. The green looks quite bright when there are lots of caps together, but individually it is a very subtle tint, and shouldn’t affect your ink colours.
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Environmental benefits of our products and packaging;
* Keep fossil-fuels in the ground - our materials are made from plants instead of oil
* Plant-based - our materials come from nature and are certified as compostable
* Sustainable - our materials are produced from annually renewable resources
* GM free - no genetically modified contents are used to make our materials
* All Green Everything! - our materials are light green so you can easily distinguish our eco supplies from regular plastic tattoo supplies
* Plastic-free packaging - all of our packaging is plant-based and certified as compostable too
* Zero-waste packaging - our products come in eco refill packs so there is no pointless single-use packaging in sight!
* Green manufacturing - our products are manufactured and packed in the UK by two green manufacturers who specialise in bioplastics
* Low product mileage & no air miles - manufacturing and packing of our products is structured to keep product mileage to a minimum before travelling to you
* Green fulfilment - a green logistics company stores, packages and delivers the products around the world
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Traditional plastics are made from oil, but ours are made from plants so they help keep fossil fuels in the ground!
The material used to make our ink caps is PLA (polylactic acid) - a unique biobased material that comes from plants instead of fossil-fuels, known as a biopolymer. The manufacturing process of this material shows a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to that of traditional polymers, such as polystyrene - it uses approximately 80% less greenhouse gases and approximately 52% less energy.
The materials we use come from nature and are designed to return to the Earth with no release of polluting substances - a true closed-loop. The process of making these materials is inspired by nature and it starts by using greenhouse gases, like atmospheric carbon as a feedstock. Nature does this all the time, it’s what plants, entire forests, and even huge structures like coral reefs are built from.
All of our products and packaging are made from sustainable plants like cassava, corn starch, sugar cane, or beets, whereas traditional plastics are made from oil. The feedstock (raw material) used is always derived from renewable resources that can be grown and harvested in a single season, providing a sustainable material with low environmental impact.
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Manufacturing
Our ink caps are manufactured in the UK in Daventry, Northamptonshire, by an environmentally conscious company that specialises in bioplastics. They have a strong ethos on sustainability, and an eco-friendly approach to production.
Read more about our manufacturing partners here.
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End-Of-Life Options
End-of-life options are confusing, but remember - our products are always better than traditional plastics, no matter where they end up after use. This is because some of the huge environmental advantages start at the very beginning. One of the most important is that they help to keep fossil fuels in the ground because they are made from plants not oil.
The biggest problem with moving to more eco-conscious ways of managing the waste generated by tattooing, is that contaminated waste must be disposed of safely, and in some places there are laws that must be followed regarding this.
Your best end-of-life option will depend on where you are because there are so many different regulations for tattoo waste around the world, as well as differences in available facilities, so it is important to do your own research into this. We have tried our best to be as informative as possible about our products, so please do read the information we provide on this website thoroughly so you can understand the materials and what your options are when it comes to disposal.
Read more about end-of-life options for our products here.
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Environmental Certifications
- EN13432 (Europe)
- ASTM6400 (USA)
- AS4736 (Australia)
- GreenPLA (Japan)
- Genescan No Genetic Material Certification
- USDA BioPreferred
- Vinçotte OK Biobased
- International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC)
- Working Landscape Certificates (WLC)
Read more about environmental certifications for our materials here.
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Storage instructions
Our products come in handy plastic-free, zero-waste eco-refill packs and are designed to be stored in your favourite glass jar or other reusable container!
However, if you do want to keep your ink caps the bag, the eco-refill pack has also been designed with a money bag closure so that it can be ‘resealed’ if necessary - just be careful not to tear the bag when you open them!
Check out some handy how-to videos about how to unpack and store our products on our IGTV.
Make sure to store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.