Skin art goes green

Northamptonshire based Great Central Plastics, along with Green House Tattoo Supplies, have developed the tattoo industries’ first plastic alternative and vegan friendly product. This was following extensive market research which indicated a growing demand in the plastic moulding market for a more eco-conscious product.
Following intensive prototyping and pilot testing – which has taken the business several months to complete - Great Central Plastics has successfully launched the product in the marketplace in the form of a plant-based plastic ink cap. These have been developed alongside Green House Tattoo Supplies, which was founded at the start of 2018, by two London based tattoo artists; Lucy Frost and Adam Willett. Lucy and Adam also founded Dark House Tattoo Co-operative in 2018 - one of the world’s first fully eco-conscious tattoo studios, offering totally plastic free tattooing. At Dark House Tattoo Co everything, from consumables and ink to the cleaning products used, is vegan and cruelty free.
Speaking about the studio and its use of the plant-based, plastic alternative ink pots, Lucy Frost co-owner and co-founder said: “The tattoo industry – over recent years – has been heavily reliant on fossil fuel-based plastics. Our aim was to combat this problem in pursuit of an eco-conscious studio and plastic free tattooing. We ‘re very proud of the fact that all our products are totally sustainable, biodegradable and compostable, making them the first range of plastic alternative tattoo products in the world.”
The development and manufacture of the plant-based plastic material is only the start of Great Central Plastic’s move into more ethical and biodegradable products with – only last month – the company announcing it was developing and testing a range of products and designs specifically for this growing sector. As MD and founder of Great Central Plastics, Tony Phillips said: “As a business we are firmly committed to meeting the evolving needs of our clients and marketplace and our progression into more ethical, environmentally raw materials and product development is, for us, a natural one.
“Across 2019 we plan to continue our investment in enhancing and developing this product range to make sure we continually cater for the needs of the eco-friendly, ethical community and that – as a business – we deliver the environmental outcomes that are very important to us.”
Earlier this month, Great Central Plastics announced it had experienced one of its most successful trading years to date with strong sales, an order book which has seen it work with some of the world’s largest brands and a continued investment in environmentally friendly manufacturing and site technologies.