Making Sustainable Moves

Here at Inkbox, we’ve been creating and developing a brand new tattoo technology. As a result, we’re constantly learning about the environmental impact of our product.

One of our mottos is “Better than yesterday”, and we actively apply this to the way that we approach the development of new products, and the impact they can have on our planet. We’re constantly working towards minimizing our environmental impact through a number of efforts, whether it’s sourcing new materials, or partnering with external initiatives to reduce our waste.

We’re proud to share that as we develop new versions of our core product, we’ve made our tattoos better for both you and the planet.

In November 2019 we launched For Now Ink™, the evolution of the Inkbox tattoo. Not only did we improve the customer experience dramatically, but in doing so we reduced the amount of post-industrial and post-consumer waste.

Here’s a look at 6 of our efforts we’re particularly excited about:

1) Recycling

Through our updated packaging and production methods, we’re thrilled that our product is 112% more recyclable than before. We’ve also implemented 100% recyclable shipping materials for all of our e-commerce orders.

2) Ink (Our Not-so-secret Ingredient)

Our ink is the foundation of everything we do. It’s what allows our customers to experience the look of a permanent tattoo for 1-2 weeks. While we’ve always been proud to have a skin-safe plant-based product, our previous product used a lot of ink in order to work. We now use 99% less ink per tattoo. This dramatic reduction results in far less biowaste.

3) Supply Chain

It’s important to be aware of our impact beyond the four walls of our office. We choose to work with suppliers who are WBNEC certified as women-owned, FSC certified, 100% wind powered, zero-waste to landfill status and practice good manufacturing practice (GMP). We’re also proud to say that 90% of our supply is right here in North America, which helps to reduce our carbon footprint.

4) (Almost) Zero-Waste Manufacturing

One of our biggest goals is a zero-waste manufacturing line. And while we can’t yell this from the rooftops just yet, we’re getting close. Our partnership with Terracycle has been an integral part of this. A social enterprise eliminating the idea of waste, we send anything that can’t be recycled by the city of Toronto to Terracycle, where they #RecycleEverything.

5) Community Initiatives

We believe that we’re stronger together in this mission towards a more sustainable future. That’s why community efforts are so important to us. The culture within our office walls is one that has shifted towards prioritizing sustainable practices, becoming a business with purpose. Our Green Team frequently shares different initiatives, tips, and tricks with the rest of the office for living a more environmentally-conscious lifestyle.

But our community work extends beyond our office culture. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Wastenot Farms, a community garden compost program. We also find local charities that accept our old gloves and towels and find ways to repurpose them, giving new life to things that would otherwise be thrown out.

6) Better Than Yesterday

This is just the beginning. While we're continuously making progress, we’re not perfect. Each and every day, we’re working towards being better than the day before.

One of our big focuses for the near future is working on our traceability. We hope to engage in more communities and participate in fair trade. In helping the planet, we can help each other out too.