 So far, many of our plastic products are derived from crude oil, which is a non-renewable source. We cannot grow or produce crude oil. This means that we don't have an infinite supply of it. Instead, we must wait millions of years in order for dead carbon-based living organisms to be compressed by layers and layers of sediment before we get crude oil. The term renewable feedstock refers to raw material that can be grown or produced by humans. The usage of renewable feedstock is attractive because it reduces the amount of harmful waste produced from the crude oil refinery and distillation processes. Most printer inks are made from crude oil-derived pigments. If you think about the amount of printing that is done on a global scale, this can be a problem in the long term. Currently in development are soy-based inks, which are derived from the oil of the soy bean plant. As a plant, soy beans are a renewable resource. The production process of these inks is overall more environmentally friendly than their petroleum-based counterparts. Also, these soy-based inks are much brighter than the petroleum-based inks. The recycling process of paper products printed with soy-based inks is also considerably more environmentally friendly. When paper products are recycled, the ink needs to be removed. Petroleum inks can be difficult to remove, but soy-based inks can be removed with relative ease.