Some things about cork

Cork, the bark of the cork oak tree, is an amazing product. There is no other product, either man-made or created by nature, that has such unique characteristics.

Here are just a few:

1. Cork is light-weight and buoyant.
2. Cork is flexible. It is composed of cellular membranes which are flexible that's why its the perfect bottle stopper. Its great on floors and walls for this reason as well.
3. Cork is impermeable to gases and liquids.
4. Cork is insulating. The tiny cell-like compartments that compose cork provide for low conductivity to heat, sound and vibrations.
5. Cork is resistant to wear. In its natural state, cork is resistant to rot, does not absorb dust, and is fire resistant. It is very durable due to the honeycomb structure of cork.

Cork is good for maintaining the environment as well:

1. It is sustainable. Cork bark is harvested off trees without harming the tree. The tree continues to grow and produce more cork. The harvesting of cork is strictly regulated allowing the tree plenty of time to regrow the bark before the next harvest.
2. There is no waste. Cork stoppers are punched out of the bark of the tree. These stoppers are used as wine corks. The rest of the bark is ground up and used to form other cork products (ie. cork flooring, bulletin boards, cork underlayment, etc.)
3. It is reusable. Wine corks (and other cork material) can be reused. Once ground up into cork grain, it can be used to create many different products.