It's paper fiber that has been used by a consumer, collected through a recycling program, and returned to a paper mill. However, coatings interfere with the recycling process, and they must eventually be removed in the form of waste sludge, which can contribute to air and water quality problems. As consumers become more environmentally savvy, a high-gloss coating may actually stigmatize your publication. These are used to protect a publication from wear and tear and are often applied to book covers and posters. Generally, inks do not affect a document's ability to be recycled.
Ink is made by using oil to hold pigments and other compounds together.
Vegetable inks are more biodegradable and produce less solvent air pollution in their manufacture and use than petroleum-based inks. This is safer for employee health and the environment. Commonly used vegetable oils are soybean, safflower, linseed, canola and corn. These are manufactured using metallic powders, and metals can damage equipment at a paper recycling mill. There are many tricks to designing a printed document to minimize waste.