Living Ink Technologies Partners with Crocs to Replace Carbon Black Ink in Its Jibbitz Packaging

(Read the original announcement here.)

Earlier this year, we spoke with Devon Murrie, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Growth for Living Ink Technologies, who explained how the company’s bio-based Algae Ink™ is a drop-in replacement for black inks that use petroleum-based carbon black feedstocks—a much less sustainable option.

Living Ink’s black ink has been used for a number of brands, such as Nike, Patagonia, and Coachtopia, for hang tags and other printed materials, using both offset and flexo printing technologies. Now, for the first time, the company reports that through its partnership with EcoEnclose, a packaging converter that produces a variety of sustainable packaging solutions, its Algae Ink is being used in a four-color, offset printed, packaging solution for Crocs’ Jibbitz™ charm boxes . Since August 2023, every Crocs Jibbitz charm box has featured Algae Ink™ as part of its packaging process, with roughly 3.2 million boxes printed to date. This has contributed to Crocs’ overall sustainability goals, with the company’s updated materials now including 25% bio-circular content—sourced from repurposed plant-based waste and certified by ISCC PLUS.

Continue reading your article
with a WhatTheyThink membership.

WhatTheyThink Annual Membership

Less than $4/week.

Get unlimited access to in-depth commentary and analysis covering the latest trends, emerging technologies, operational strategies, and key events across every segment of today's printing industry.

Stay informed. Stay competitive. Stay ahead.

WhatTheyThink Day Pass

$5 for 24 hours

Unlimited access to all of WhatTheyThink. Get your Day Pass

Already a member?

About Cary Sherburne

Cary Sherburne is a well-known author, journalist and marketing consultant whose practice is focused on marketing communications strategies for the printing and publishing industries.

Cary Sherburne is available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. To get more information contact us.

Please offer your feedback to Cary. She can be reached at [email protected].

10 Things PSPs Should Consider Before Adopting Robotics: What You Need to Know to Begin the Journey

Why Highly Targeted Communications Make Digital Print Essential to Modern Marketing

Wide Format in 2026: How Technology Is Reshaping Competitive Advantage

Labels & Packaging in 2026: Turning Insight into Direction

Print, Digital, and Everything in Between

View Keypoint Intelligence Reports

U.S. Hemp Goes International

While the U.S. domestic textile industry is struggling to grow, the U.S. farming industry could play an important role in making textiles more sustainable with arrangements such as the recently announced deal for Panda Biotech to provide U.S. grown hemp fibers to the Indian textile market. Read More

Tariffs and Textiles: Will They Help Bring Back U.S. textile Manufacturing?

So supposedly, a goal of U.S. tariffs on products imported from other countries, including textiles, apparel, and footwear, was to incentivize bringing manufacturing back to the States. Of course, setting up a new factory takes time and money; it doesn’t happen overnight. But it seems that producers had other ideas…the results may surprise you. Read More

Textile Turmoil: What’s the Latest in the World of Textiles?

Nothing better demonstrates the turmoil the textiles and apparel industry is going through than two news items I received in my inbox, basically back to back, stating that the U.S. is holding its own while Europe is losing steam. What else is going on in the industry today? We dive into that here. Read More

Monadnock Introduces Recyclable Alternative to Vinyl for Retail Signage

For its entire 207-year history, Monadnock Paper Mills has taken sustainability to heart. As a privately-owned paper mill, the owners live near the mill and take protection of the environment seriously. Most recently, the company has introduced a new, sustainable alternative to vinyl for retail signage, Ultra Hide PC 100 Blockout Poster. In part two of this two-part video, Julie Brannen explains. Read More