Rethinking Waste as a Resource
For years, my work has centered around natural dyes, exploring sustainable alternatives to synthetic colorants. What started as a deep dive into food waste dyeing has now expanded into something even more exciting—turning these dyes into ink for printing and branding applications.
The idea first took root during my Master’s research, where I explored food waste as a sustainable dye source. Since then, the project has grown significantly, leading to international collaborations, hands-on experimentation, and new discoveries in ink-making from waste materials.
The Evolution of Food Waste Dye
Food waste is often seen as a problem, but I see it as an untapped resource. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various organic waste materials such as:
Onion skins – producing warm yellow and deep green depending on the pH of water.
Avocado pits and skins – yielding soft pinks and browns.
Pomegranate peels – offering rich golden yellow and earthy shades.
Used tea leaves and coffee grounds – providing deep browns and neutral tones.
Banana trunk (Batang Pisang) – A recent discovery that creates light brown to deep sepia tones, depending on extraction time.
Banana skins – A versatile waste source providing brown hues.
Mint leaves – Surprisingly yielding soft greens and dark brown hues, depending on the pH adjustment.
Initially, my focus was on textiles, creating hand-dyed fabrics that showcased the potential of these natural pigments. But as I worked with different extraction techniques, I realized these dyes could be transformed into ink—opening up entirely new possibilities in printing and sustainable branding.
Merging East and West: Combining Ink Arabic & Katazome Techniques
In my quest to make food waste inks more durable, I explored both Eastern and Western printing traditions. This led me to an exciting combination of Ink Arabic and Katazome techniques, which allowed for better ink adhesion and improved wash-fastness on fabric—an issue many natural inks struggle with.
🖌 Ink Arabic (Western Influence) – A traditional gum-based binder used in European ink-making, helping to stabilize pigments and enhance flow for smooth application.
🎭 Katazome (Japanese Influence) – A Japanese rice-paste resist technique that helps natural pigments stick better to fibers, making them more resistant to fading when exposed to hot water rinses. Thank you Rosanna Rios Perez & Yoko Kataoka for sharing her insights on her research and
By merging these techniques, I was able to:✅ Increase ink stability – The gum binder prevents pigment separation, ensuring smooth printing application.✅ Enhance fiber adhesion – The Katazome paste helped the ink bind strongly to fabric, making it more resistant to hot water rinsing and fading.✅ Expand application possibilities – This hybrid approach allows food waste inks to be used for both fabric printing and paper-based branding materials.
Turning Dye into Ink: The Process
The transition from food waste dye to ink required refining my extraction and stabilization techniques to create a long-lasting, high-quality pigment that could be used for silkscreen printing, posters, and branding materials.
The First Product Prototypes
After months of testing, I developed several functional ink applications:
Screen-Printed Mending Patches – Repurposed fabric patches printed with food waste ink, reinforcing a circular textile economy.
🖋 Dye Kits – Enabling people to experiment with food waste color creation at home.
🖼 Posters & Branding Materials – Showcasing screen-printed artwork and promotional materials using waste-derived ink.
By incorporating Eastern and Western techniques, I was able to develop a more practical, scalable, and commercially viable ink solution that could meet branding and sustainability demands.
Looking Ahead: A Future in Sustainable Printing
The shift from food waste dye to ink has completely reshaped how I approach color and sustainability. Beyond textiles, this work has the potential to revolutionize eco-friendly packaging, signage, and advertising—offering brands a new way to reduce waste while telling a meaningful story.
With new discoveries like Batang Pisang (banana trunk), banana skins, and mint leaves, the future of food waste inks is expanding beyond what I originally imagined. These underutilized waste materials are proving to be valuable in creating high-quality, long-lasting pigments that could redefine natural printing and branding.
This is only the beginning, and I’m excited to continue refining the process, collaborating with businesses, and scaling this initiative globally.
Would you use food waste ink for branding?
Let’s start a conversation about sustainable printing! 🌿
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