We are incredibly proud to boast we are a sustainable design agency, and it’s our responsibility to find your company the best eco-friendly solutions to complement the designs we create so they are ready for the print production. Being experts in sustainable marketing solutions for the past 15 years, we have collated some of our most favoured print methods.

Vegetable Inks:

Vegetable inks have become an eco-friendly alternative to traditional inks, which were petroleum-based for printing. These vegetable inks are derived from renewable sources like soybeans, corn, and linseed. So, as an increasingly eco-conscious nation, the population can be grateful for the introduction of vegetable inks for its many benefits. Not only does it offer brighter and more vivid colours, enhancing the visual appeal of your marketing materials, but it also emits far fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This saves contributing air pollution into the atmosphere and reduces the risk of various health issues. 

Recycling is made far easier, too! Using vegetable inks is far easier to de-ink in the recycling process, making your paper recycling much more efficient. And that’s just a handful of lots of benefits vegetable ink has to offer. 

Eco-Friendly Paper:

Eco-friendly papers are, you guessed it, sourced sustainably, ensuring minimal harm to the environment. The varying types of eco-friendly paper available can be any fast-growing plants that are harvested frequently like bamboo, hemp, banana, grass, or any paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This is somewhat similar the use of mixed paper, which is the best of both worlds. Although it may not have the perfect white appearance, mixed papers can still achieve high-quality prints suitable for a range of marketing materials. The use of eco-friendly paper and mixed paper goes beyond the ordinary as it reduces deforestation, curbing the pressure on forests.

Recycled Paper:

Rather self-explanatory – recycled paper is the reprocessing of used paper into new, useable sheets. By using recycled paper, fewer trees are cut down, reducing habitat destruction and carbon dioxide emissions. Producing recycled paper uses less energy in manufacturing than ordinary paper and reduces waste in landfills. Meaning there is certainly a bigger argument for your printed sustainable marketing materials to use recycled paper rather than not.

Glassine Bags:

Glassine bags are an interesting choice for your printed packaging as they are smooth, translucent and most importantly biodegradable. So to most eyes, any consumer can easily mistake the bag for a plastic one, especially as they can be used for any range of products given that its grease, air, and water resistant. The specific manufacturing process is called supercalendering which involves rolling paper under high pressure to produce its polished finish. But the main difference against plastic is that this alternative decomposes naturally, reducing landfill waste and is therefore environmentally friendly. We love glassine bags and see them as the perfect eco-solution when looking for a poly mailer bag.

Hot Foil:

Yes that is right, hot foil! Not many people realise that foil is a sustainable print finish. The hot foiling process is the use of heat to transfer metallic foil to a surface. Unlike other decorative printing methods, hot foiling doesn’t involve harmful solvents or inks and is also far more precise which ensures minimum foil wastage.

100% Biodegradable Stickers:

Biodegradable stickers as quite literally just ordinary stickers with an eco friendly twist. Just as sticky as a regular sticker, but more importantly, being biodegradable they naturally break down entirely over time, causing no harm to the environment and leave no traces behind. Their composition is made up of plant-based/organic materials such as cornstarch, sugarcane, or potato starch and the adhesive made up of natural rubber or plant-derived compounds so they lack the synthetic polymers that standard stickers home. 

Sustainable printing methods are not just good for the environment; they also reflect well on your brand. By opting for vegetable inks and eco-friendly paper options, companies can not only reduce their environmental impact but also enhance their brand image and appeal to a wider audience.

Don’t believe us? See our sustainable solutions in action and view our work for Pavilion Dance or Scrummi, as all of their printed marketing materials are 100% FSC-approved with the use of mixed paper. 

If you’re an eco-friendly, like-minded company and need help turning green, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our sustainable marketing agency. CuCo Creative can help you transform any packaging, marketing or printed branding project with one of our many sustainable solutions.