Every time you print out a page on a laser printer you’re using toner made from petroleum-based products. Now there’s a greener choice that shows promise: a toner product derived from soybean oil.

While some customers might be wary, potential benefits are clear. It’s easier to recycle paper printed with soy. And perhaps more important in a sour economy, soy toners can cost less than the standard alternative. Soybeans are a renewable resource whose price is likely to be more stable than that of oil.

Newspaper, magazine and book publishers have shifted to soy-based ink in recent years.

Early results suggest soy toners work as advertised. In a recent test involving identical documents from two identical printers - one with a new Hewlett-Packard cartridge and the other a soy cartridge - the printouts were indistinguishable, equally dark and smudge-proof.