As a BCorp, our mission at ROTE is approach our brand in a cleaner, and slower then you everyday tshirt company. When we developed our clean tee, we looked at every step of a basic t-shirt to push back, ask questions, and see how we can approach it in a circular way. We knew right away that keeping packing to a minimum was a must, so we it came to the required label by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) started with our fabric tags. Knowing the toxic azo dyes are we needed to source another solution.
We Algae Ink is a revolutionary ink developed by Living Ink Technologiesis. It is a unique, innovative, environmentally-friendly, specialty printing ink. Algea Ink is similar to many traditional inks, except that the pigment component is complete bio-based and renewable. Depending on the type of ink, 2.5-20% of the ink is bio-based pigment.
At large-scale production, algae black pigments are carbon negative. Algae absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and Living Ink “locks” that carbon in the bio-based black pigment for over 100 years.
Azo dyes, often used for cheap and effective clothing dyeing, become carcinogenic as they degrade, posing risks to the skin and eyes. The EU restricts their use, but they're still found in non-EU fast fashion.