You’ve enjoyed that bottle of organic wine, and tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin. But what about the cork? Forget the plastic corks or metal twist tops, I am talking real cork. According to ReCORK;

“Natural cork is made up of billions of cells. This gives cork its buoyant, elastic quality as well as the ability to absorb and retain nearly 9 grams of CO2 throughout the life of a wine cork. And with 13 billion corks sold each year worldwide, cork is an important source of CO2 retention.

When you take the time to compare the features of natural cork against petroleum-based plastic plugs and aluminum screwcaps the difference is significant. In a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study of the life cycle analysis of wine closures, CO2 emissions in aluminum screwcaps were 24 times higher than those from a natural cork closure, while plastic stoppers were 10 times greater than cork.”

What makes cork so sustainable? Cork is considered to be very green for a number of reasons, among them the ability to recycle into a wide array of products, from shoe soles to floor coverings. Even  acorns and leaves from the cork trees can be used for animal fodder and oil, and the wood of old trees can be firewood. A bit of background: cork as we know it is the outer bark of the cork tree, grown primarily in the Mediterranean basin. Trees live to be 200 years old, and after 25 years the cork can be carefully harvested, at the rate of about once every ten years. With over 6 million acres of cork forests, protecting this resource is vital to local economies and ecosystems, not to mention being a key to slowing  global warming. Cork is known to be a natural CO2 “sink” which means it takes CO2 from the atmosphere. So, it makes sense that the more cork grown, the better for the environment.

Back to the wine cork. ReCORK alone has collected over 31 MILLION corks so far, from individuals, restaurants, wine tasting rooms, airlines, etc. There are collection sites all over the United States. Other countries have similar organizations. And, let’s not forget the DIY crafters. I have seen corks used for walls, candle holders, bath mats, jewelry, picture frames and you-name-it. If you are so inclined, let your imagination run wild. Or, just take your corks to a recycling center for them. No place near you? You can just mail them to: Amorim Cork America
2557 Napa Valley Corp. Dr. #A
Napa CA 94558
USA

One more innovation -  Inhabitat  brings us a very creative use of recycled cork  for furniture:  ”This gorgeous Cortica cork lounge by DMFD seamlessly blends luxury living with sustainable design. Each lounge is made from 100% recycled cork that originates as the waste material from the bottle stopper industry. This piece bends beautifully in two directions, and it can be rocked from side to side or on its back while still fully supporting you as you stretch out.”