We’ve caught onto the eco-friendly cork craze. This fabulously sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing, material is great for so much more than just plugging wine bottles!

The Tale of the Cork Oak Tree

Let’s start with the basics. Cork comes from the Cork Oak Tree, which is native to the Mediterranean region. The super neat thing about Cork Oak Trees is that the cork can be harvested without harming the tree. These trees can live up to 300 years – think about how much CO2 they can absorb during that lifetime! We’ve also read that cork trees require little water and pesticide usage, making the farming process very natural. The Corkor website summarizes all of the wonderful things about cork quite concisely, or you can check out the wikipedia article for more detail. Basically, cork is fantastic and a great alternative to plastic, wood, and leather. We are really excited about this eco-friendly material.

Endless Possibilities

Cork is truly multi-purpose! While in the US we are most accustomed to seeing it for wine bottles and maybe as bulletin boards, it has great potential beyond these typical usages. For example, it can be a substitute for leather! My parents went to Portugal earlier this year and brought back a cork wallet for Mike and a cork purse for me. The material is thin, strong, and incredibly light weight! We liked these cork items so much that when Mike’s old leather belt finally wore out recently, he chose to replace it with a cork belt instead. Much more eco-friendly (and kind) than choosing leather.

Recycling Cork

Cork is a natural substance that can be composted. It can also be recycled though, if you know where to take it! For reasons we don’t fully understand, we’ve had the instinct to save our wine corks for the last few years. Maybe I thought I would do something crafty with them, like make my own cork trivet? The odds of that happening are quite slim – I’m too busy trying to reduce my plastic usage!

As we’ve been getting more interested in cork as a sustainable material, I looked into cork recycling. There’s a cool company called ReCORK that recycles old wine bottle corks. They have cork drop-off centers all over and fortunately we found one right near our main grocery store in Encinitas. It’s great to know that these corks will be repurposed into something new!

Get Corky!

How might you incorporate cork into your life?

• Replace leather with cork! The next time you’re looking to buy a purse, wallet, or belt, check out cork alternatives. Especially if you have a vegan friend or family member – they’ll love this compassionate option.
• Use your corks for crafts! If you enjoy crafting there are lots of neat, and useful, ways to use cork. This article alone has 50 ideas for using cork, from making bathmats to art work!
• Garden with corks! You can help potted plants drain more effectively by putting natural corks in the bottom of the pot before filling it with soil.
• Recycle your corks! Check your local recycling options to see the best way to recycle cork in your area. For us it works best to save our corks and then bring them to a ReCORK drop-off center (BevMo, in our case).
• Fill your home with cork! Do you enjoy designing your house with natural elements? Then cork flooring might be a great option for you! You could also be a bit more subtle and incorporate cork coasters.

Our adventures with cork are just beginning and we are excited about continuing to incorporate this eco-friendly material into our lives.

xo, Nicole