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Not just burgers or sweets, but even tattoos are turning vegan with time. And if you are unsure as to what that means, let us explain it to you further. Vegan tattoos are mostly all about the ink. But it isn’t the only thing that eco-friendly tattooing concerns. The manufacturing cycle of the tattoo accessories, starting right at the machine and going all the way down to the grip, takes care of the eco-friendliness of any tattooing approach.
But is eco-friendly only about the environment? Not exactly as eco-friendly tattoo supplies are often good for your skin and overall health. It is common knowledge that quality stuff doesn’t usually cause harmful reactions.
Yet the question is: how come a process as invasive as tattoo making can even tread on the lines of eco-friendliness. For the sake of simplicity and better understanding, I have divided the process into multiple parts: the problem, the solution, and the road ahead.
The Problem
Every second street in New York has a tattoo parlor. And even though it’s not a bad thing, the sheer amount of waste generated from every single session has always been a cause for concern. You have inadvertently seen the tattoo parlor pavements filled with bags full of blood-soaked napkins, with some being as complex as the clinical grade.
The amount of waste produced isn’t always the problem here. Instead, it even boils down to the type of disposable material options the artists end up using while tattooing. These include clingfilms, cord sleeves, ink cups., kitchen rolls, and more. Which in every standard case is anything but eco-friendly.
And as these disposable options keep piling up, it becomes harder to manage the exposure and hence the environmental balance.
The Solution
Well, leading global artists are working towards the same. And here is how.
First of all, they are trying to focus on getting clip cord sleeves that are naturally derived and even made of renewable materials. Remember, getting something derived from fossil fuel instead of those plasticky parts is actually a good thing. And you should even remember one thing: these renewable clip cords, capable of reducing the carbon footprint, are affordable in the long run. Plus, disposing of them has no harmful effects on the environment.
Wait, does that mean quality compromises? Not exactly as these products are also thinner and even more durable than the standard plastic-clad counterparts.
The tattooing eco-friendliness doesn’t end with the clip cords. Instead, they extend to the ink cups as well where plastic is being fast replaced by paper, making the procedure even more sustainable with time. Standard paper pulp is used and that too from the tree discards, without harming the actual trees at all.
Sustainable tattooing products, however, go all the way up to the tattoo machines as well with the nibs and grips becoming more eco-friendly with time. You can always check the expert buyer’s guide while purchasing any tattoo pen or machine and can expect environmental-friendly traits in the discussion panel.
In addition to the ink cups, clip cords, grips, and even tattoo machines, the purview of eco-friendly supplies extend all the way up to packing material where wheat starch is starting to get a good rep as a water-soluble and useful product to use. And there are some highly vigilant artists who keep reusing the cardboard boxes to minimize the packaging clutter.
The Road Ahead
Going green is important for the entire tattooing industry. And so is going vegan. Using products that aren’t derived from animals is a good start— both towards sustainability and eco-friendliness. And tattoo artists aren’t alone in this. In fact, companies are coming to their doorsteps to make them vigilant about the importance and benefits of going green.
And it isn’t just about the supplies. Going green or eco-friendly in terms of tattooing might also account for passive ventilation to keep the clients healthy both inside and outside the shops. Preparing a green roof of sorts or even installing solar panels to source electricity. This means, over time, every aspect of tattooing, both client or even shop-based, can be turned green.
And just so you know, the quality of tattoo ink used by professional tattoo artists is expected to get the first go-ahead nod in terms of quality and sustainability amplifications. For instance, you can already see some of the organic pigments with industrial residues like polycyclic compounds and AZO being replaced by the more skin-tolerable entities.
Even when it comes to prescribing aftercare products, most artists are vouching for organic compounds and gels. And that’s just not good for the environment. Here are the skin-based perks of getting the entire tattooing strategy into the greener pastures:
- Faster healing as the ink absorption is better
- Fewer instances of infection as the ink is made of skin-friendly and organic components
- Minimal itching
- Manageable scabbing
- Fewer instances of fading as organic beeswax and other components are better when aftercare is concerned
And even for the artists, the customer base is gradually growing as people are getting more conscious and therefore valuing shops that are in line with these developments. So, as expected, the entire tattoo industry is looking at going eco-friendly over time and it’s actually expected to make it more robust and productive over time.
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