Algae-Based Black Pigment Earns TIME Best Inventions Nod

Living Ink Technologies has landed on TIME magazine's Best Inventions of 2026 list for Algae Black, a renewable black pigment already running in commercial production for Patagonia, New Balance and Stella McCartney. The Colorado company earned the selection in TIME's Sustainability category, and the brands named are using the pigment in textiles, apparel, packaging and footwear today.

For sourcing teams, the commercial pitch rests on a single claim: manufacturers can substitute the bio-based pigment for petroleum-derived carbon black without retooling. Chief technology officer Stevan Albers said: "We engineered Algae Black so manufacturers can swap out fossil fuels for bio-based waste without changing their existing equipment or sacrificing design fidelity." No capex, no new machinery, no lead-time penalty — that is the offer on the table.

What is the pigment made from?

Algae Black converts underutilised agricultural, food and industrial waste into high-performance pigments. The feedstock list includes algae byproducts and brewery yeast, streams that typically carry disposal costs rather than market value. Co-founders Scott Fulbright and Stevan Albers developed the technology to cut dependence on fossil-based colourants while assigning new value to organic waste.

The company describes its pigments as carbon-negative. That claim is a company statement, not an independently verified figure, and buyers conducting supplier due diligence should treat it accordingly. Living Ink also asserts the pigment maintains the colour consistency and performance that established product lines require.

Who is in the supply network?

Living Ink has built a roster of manufacturing and packaging partners to move the pigment into commercial supply chains:

• EcoEnclose
• Yuto Eco-Tech
• Trimco Group
• NextGen Packaging

In fashion and textiles, the pigment has appeared in Stella McCartney runway apparel, printed textiles and footwear. It also underpins the company's Algae Ink range of printing inks, which extends the technology into packaging and print applications familiar to apparel vendors.

CEO Scott Fulbright framed the material's invisibility as both obstacle and opportunity. He said: "The layer of colour on our daily products often goes completely unnoticed – just like microalgae is dismissed as pond scum. But these tiny organisms, the very building blocks of life on Earth, hold incredible power."

Why does this matter for sourcing decisions?

The recognition arrives as textile and apparel manufacturers face mounting pressure over the environmental footprint of dyes, pigments and other chemical inputs, alongside fibres and fabrics. Chemical inputs have drawn less scrutiny than raw fibre to date, and that gap is closing. A drop-in pigment that requires no equipment changes lowers the barrier for brands seeking compliant colourant options without disrupting production schedules.

Albers identified integration with existing manufacturing systems as the decisive factor for wider adoption, positioning compatibility — rather than performance alone — as the technology's route to scale.

The company sees applications well beyond textiles, with potential in cosmetics, plastics, rubber products and paints. Sourcing professionals evaluating the pigment will want capacity figures, certification status and pricing relative to conventional carbon black; none of those numbers appear in the announcement. What is confirmed is commercial use by three global brands and a named partner network across packaging and trim manufacturing — a footprint that TIME's list may now accelerate.