Soy Toner

Environmentally friendly soy-based ink, used by newspapers for years, is now available for laser printers and fax machines. The toner in most printer cartridges is petroleum based: about two liters of oil yield one pound of toner powder, and volatile organic compounds are released in the process. Soy toner is made from a by-product of ordinary soybean harvesting, so it doesn’t require the planting of any new crops, and no harmful chemicals are released during its manufacture.

Credit: Joshua Scott