Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

New Ink is Made from Repurposed Air Pollution

Drawing up some good news.

Michael Friedrich
By Michael FriedrichNov 02, 2021
Michael Friedrich

Michael Friedrich is a writer and GOOD contributor based out of New York.

See Full Bio

This article originally appeared on 11.02.21.


The pen is mightier than the sword. What's mightier than the pen, you ask? Easy. A Graviky Labs Air-Ink pen."How could one pen be mightier than every other pen," you ask, outraged. Well most pens use traditional ink which is produced in a process that involves burning fossil fuels.Air-Ink pens are different—instead of burning fossil fuels to produce their ink, Graviky labs actually collects and repurposes carbon from air pollution that already exists. Rather than contributing to climate change, their production process actually combats it. Which is good, because air pollution is a major environmental health issue, killing about 7-million people per year, according to the World Health Organization.


"Pollution is bad, but pollution happens to be a really good raw material to make inks," says Graviky co-founder Anirudh Sharma. Back in 2012 Anirudh, then a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, was visiting India when he captured a photo of a diesel generator blowing black exhaust against a stained wall, and had a revelation. "You shouldn't need to burn new fossil fuels just to make ink. Fossil fuels are already being burned." He returned to MIT and in 2013 he and a few friends successfully adapted an inkjet printer to print using ink collected from candle soot. That early success led to more tinkering, and soon they had invented a breakthrough device called the Kaalink.

The Kaalink is a small cylindrical filter that attaches to a vehicle's exhaust tailpipe and collects carbon soot, which Graviky then turns into ink. The device is reusable and filters "between 85-95%" of soot emissions. While the filter doesn't stop CO2 gas from entering the atmosphere, the soot it does capture would otherwise be a highly dangerous environmental pollutant. That pollutant, called PM 2.5, can cause serious health problems like asthma and lung disease. Graviky Labs' entire process, from manufacturing the Kaalink, collecting and processing the soot, and producing the black ink, is carbon-neutral. Each 30 milliliter bottle of Air-Ink is equivalent to approximately 45 minutes worth of vehicular soot emissions.

In terms of improving air quality, Air-Ink can't compete with the improved technology that more recent cars use to combat pollution, but it can be applied to millions of older vehicles, especially in developing countries where pollution ordinances "are rare—or rarely enforced." According to Anirudh, "Pollution is nothing but resources we're not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value." Air-Ink may not be a cure-all for climate change, but Anirudh is hoping it's just one of many ways to start using pollution productively: "It's a start, and it can inspire several others to start looking at new forms of waste that are lying outside, unutilized."

airinkrecyclingpollutionair pollutiongravikysustainabilityemissionssootink

The Latest

job interview, personal weaknesses, personal growth, job interview questions, career advice
Work & Money

Experts reveal how to flip 'what's your greatest weakness?' cliche into a winning job interview answer

Millennials, Generation Alpha, childhoods, community, mental health, lifestyle, independence
Culture

4 magical things millennials got to do growing up that Gen Alpha's taking next level

Chris Hemsworth, Alzheimer’s risk, APOE4 gene, Limitless series, stress and cortisol, brain health, mindfulness habits, solitude practice, sleep routine, screen-free evenings, ice baths, breathwork, surfing therapy, Men’s Health, Dr Peter Attia, family time, cognitive decline, healthy aging, Thor actor, Avengers Doomsday
Past Events

Chris Hemsworth made 'one lifestyle change' amid Alzheimer's diagnosis that we all need to commit to

marriage, wedding, relationship, husband, wife, couple, healthy relationship, healthy marriage
Past Events

There’s one key aspect to a healthy marriage that could make your relationship last a lifetime

More For You

John Waite, Kansas, Kiowa County Sheriff's Office, speeding, police, '80s music, wholesome, traffic stop, Justin Rugg, Missing You

John Waite poses with members of the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office

Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook, cropped

Police pulled over an '80s pop icon for speeding and it turned into a hilarious photo shoot

Being pulled over by the police is always a nerve-racking experience, and it’s probably awkward for everyone when the driver is a pop star with multiple chart-topping singles. In July 2025, one such encounter went viral after sheriff’s deputies in Kiowa County, Kansas stopped a vehicle transporting British '80s hitmaker John Waite. But instead of leading to tension, the traffic stop resulted in a genuinely wholesome moment.

Waite and his band were en route to their concert at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City, Kansas when they were pulled over for speeding. Sergeant Justin Rugg just so happened to be a longtime fan: “I’m not even on cloud nine; I’m on like cloud 12,” he said after making the stop, according to the Kiowa County Sheriff Office's Facebook page.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vamarr Hunter, Lenore Lindsay, Give Me Some Sugah, bakery, adoption, reunion, Chicago, NBC Chicago, genetic testing, family

A young boy's school photo, a mom and grown son pose, a man with a beenie

TikTok | @nbcchicago

Man's 15-year search for parents ends after discovering owner of his favorite bakery is his mother

For 15 long years, 50-year-old Vamarr Hunter of Chicago's South Shore was searching for his biological parents. As reported in a story by NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago on TikTok) that's capturing hearts online, his search just ended in the most unbelievable and heartwarming way.

Hunter discovered that his biological mother, Lenore Lindsay, is the proprietor of "Give Me Some Sugah," his favorite local bakery, which he has been visiting for a decade.

Keep ReadingShow less
green flags, dating, relationships, Reddit, men, women, what men want, communication, empathy, independence

Happy woman giving the thumbs up

Canva

Men share the 10 biggest 'green flags' they have seen in women and it's eye-opening

When we're dating or thinking about starting a relationship, we often look out for subtle cues that speak volumes about a person's character. From good communication skills and a positive outlook to healthy boundaries, some noteworthy traits make a person likable instantly.

These traits, also called "green flags," top the list when one is looking for a suitable partner to live their life with. In a Reddit post, u/SealeDrop asked other men on the platform, "What are the biggest green flags in a girl?" Many flocked to the comments section to share what they find the most impressive in a girl that makes them feel she's a keeper. Here are 10 of the best responses.

Keep ReadingShow less
workplace boundaries, unpaid labor, quiet quitting, great resignation, Reddit, viral stories, employee rights, micromanagement

A reddit comment

Reddit | u/heyyslat

A boss demanded his employee come in 5 minutes early. The worker's 5-word question shut it right down.

A recent viral story online is highlighting the growing tension between management expectations and employees' rights to be paid for their time. The post, from user u/heyyslat, shared a screenshot of a text exchange with a manager from a former warehouse job that perfectly captures the modern push for clear workplace boundaries.

The conversation began when the manager sent a text about punctuality:

Keep ReadingShow less
message in a bottle, Clint Buffington, Evan Buffington, Peter Thompson, Pentucket Regional, West Newbury, oceanography class, Pepsi bottle, Coast Guard, Bahamas beach, Emily Maher, WCVB, People magazine, reunion story, viral discovery, human connection, time capsule, beachcombing, found note, Massachusetts teen

The bottle contained a message from the past.

Photo credit: Canva

14-year-old tossed a 'message in a bottle' into the sea, nearly 50 years later, he received the call

In 1976, 14-year-old Peter R. Thompson was a ninth-grade student at Pentucket Regional Junior High School in West Newbury, Massachusetts. As part of an oceanography class, he wrote a short note, sealed it in a glass Pepsi bottle, and had it launched into the Atlantic by the Coast Guard. The assignment was meant to be a science experiment, which, nearly fifty years later, turned into a reunion.

A 1976 classroom experiment

West Newbury, oceanography class, Pepsi bottle, Coast Guard, Bahamas beach, Emily Maher, WCVB, People magazine, reunion story, viral discovery, human connection, time capsule, beachcombing, found note, Massachusetts teen Who knows what adventures the bottle had before being discovered. Photo credit: Canva

Keep ReadingShow less
Allie Phillips, @.allie.phillips, TikTok, viral video, 6-year-old, love triangle, diamond ring, kindergarten, first grade, parenting

A young girl wears a diamond ring

Canva

6-year-old girl returns from school wearing a massive 'diamond ring'

Some parenting stories are so specific and hilarious they are destined to become viral classics. This is one of those stories, shared by mom Allie Phillips (@.allie.phillips) on TikTok, in a video that began with a very necessary warning: "Buckle in. This is hilarious."

Phillips set the scene: her 6-year-old daughter, Adalie, was in first grade and had been "in love" with her "boyfriend," Brandon, since kindergarten. They were in the same class, and she often talked about how they would one day get married. It was a sweet, stable, first-grade romance.

Keep ReadingShow less
cashiers, cashier stories, weird stores, humor, retail nightmare

Seriously, cashiers don't get paid enough.

Photo credit: Canva

Cashiers share the 10 craziest, most bizarre interactions they’ve had with customers

Many people have been a cashier at a business at some point in their lives. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says there are over three million cashiers working in the country today—and they all have stories. If you've ever worked behind the register, you might have some stories, too. Annoying stories about customers who irritated you, yelled at you, or were just jerks. Or positive stories like the time a customer bought you a coffee or offered a, “Have a nice day!” every time they showed up. Then, there's the other category: the odd stories.

For every hundred stories of an angry customer that brought an expired coupon or a customer that kindly bought the groceries of the person in line behind them, there is one bizarre tale from the world behind the counter. It could be a case of an odd but happy happenstance, over-the-top bad customers, acts of heroism, or just plain weird interactions that aren’t typically a part of a cashier’s day-to-day experience.

Keep ReadingShow less
angel shot, bar safety, Benji Spears, TikTok, viral video, bartending, Ask for Angela, code words, safety tip, bystander intervention

A bartender pours a drink

Canva

A bartender saved a woman from a dangerous date after she used a discreet bar code for help

First dates with strangers, especially those arranged through apps, can be a source of anxiety. As people, particularly women, navigate the potential dangers of nightlife, a system of subtle codes has emerged to signal for help. Bartender Benji Spears (@benjispears) is going viral for a TikTok video that not only reenacts a dangerous situation but also clearly explains a safety code that could save a life.

In the video, Spears reenacts a scene where he notices a woman on a date who looks visibly uncomfortable and distressed. He spots the "trouble" in the couple's body language and walks over to check on them, asking if they need water. The woman, understanding the opportunity, orders an "angel shot with lime."

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025