Cork and the Environment

Jelinek Cork Group will be exhibiting at the Green Living Show in Toronto, Ontario (April 25-27, 2008) so its a good time to discuss the green characteristics of cork - a sustainable, renewable and reusable natural resource.

The cork oak tree (Quercus suber) provides us with this 100% sustainable and renewable natural resource. Cork is the outer bark of this remarkable tree. The cork bark is harvested from the Quercus suber tree without damage to the tree. In its place, new bark begins to re-grow almost immediately. This harvesting does not harm the tree in any way and after about nine years the trees are ready for bark stripping once again. Harvesting of cork bark continues every 9-12 years until the tree is 150-200 years old.

The production of cork products creates very little waste. Natural cork wine stoppers are punched out of strips of cork bark. The "waste" of this production (the cork bark) is then ground up into cork grain. Cork grain is used to make many other cork products including cork flooring, cork wall tiles, cork underlayment, cork rolls, etc.

Used wine stoppers are also recyclable. They are collected and used to make various other products. Some are ground up into cork grain. Some are used for decorative arts & crafts projects. Some of the wine corks are cut into circles and used to create Jelinek Cork Mosaic flooring. The possibilities are endless.

Cork forests form another important aspect of the environment. These cork forests make up some of the most diverse farming in the world. These forests are home to many different plant and animal species including the Iberian lynx and black vultures. Many types of plants make these forests their home and exist because of these cork trees. Cork trees typically grow in a natural setting allowing a fair amount of the ecosystem to be preserved. We will discuss cork forests in more detail in a future posting.

So, as you read, cork is a sustainable, renewable and reusable natural product. The forests are an important part of our environment.