In this episode of Parlor Talks, we explore the first commercial use of ACTExact — a UV flexo ink made with algae-based pigment — introduced through a collaboration between ACTEGA, Living Ink Technologies, Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages, and NextGen Label Group.

"I’m incredibly proud that after more than a decade of searching for sustainable solutions in CPG and packaging, Waiākea has become the first brand in the world to use ACTExact UV Black Algae Ink on its commercial beverage labels, replacing 100% of the black ink in our designs with this carbon-negative alternative," Ryan Emmons, co-founder of Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages, says, noting that the company came to life in 2012 driven by the goal of preserving the environment.

Host Kalie VanDewater is joined by Mell C. Bishop III, vice president of flexible packaging and global market manager for labels at ACTEGA, and Dr. Scott Fulbright, CEO and co-founder of Living Ink Technologies, who dive into the background of the ink’s development, how it shows up in real-life production, and the future of carbon-negative solutions across the packaging industry.

0:00 Introduction
1:20 Behind the Carbon-Negative Ink
3:20 Why Algae?
4:39 Development Challenges
7:00 Intended Applications
8:05 Performance on Press
9:48 Collaboration and Testing Process with Waiākea
11:42 Performance and Quality Comparison
14:04 Regulatory Landscape
18:03 Future Outlook
20:53 Closing Remarks