ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SOY INK

Universal Color Corp. located in Wilmington, Massachusetts and Megami Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd. of Japan have made it a priority to provide the printing industry with the highest quality ink that is also environmentally friendly...soy ink. The environmentally sound manufacturing practices of Universal Color Corp. and Megami Ink have been recognized as utilizing the leading standards in the industry. As a result, both have been approved for ISO-14000 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems. The "soy seal" which is approved by the American Soybean Association (ASA) is proudly displayed on Universal Color Corp. and Megami Ink products. In order to obtain the soy seal, ink must meet the following conditions: For all offset inks, soy oil needs to account for more than 20% of the gross weight. In the case of UV ink, the standard is 7% and 10% for metallic ink. Soy-based ink is completely different from the standard petroleum-based ink. Soybean oil is the same raw material that is used in edible oils such as cooking oils and salad dressings. When soybean oil is used in printing ink, it greatly reduces the VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or toxic emissions released into the atmosphere. Other advantages of soy ink include its easy removal from paper in the recycling process and the fact that it is more readily biodegradable than petroleum-based ink. Universal Color Corp. and Megami Ink are proud to manufacture and promote soy ink...economically sound and environmentally friendly.