More on Cork – the other remarkable renewable
Here at bambu we always have our eyes out for interesting ideas that incorporate renewable materials. Maybe it’s just us, but it seems that cork has been getting more and more attention since we launched our Cork Collection earlier this year. More on bambu’s cork collection here.
This latest news flash comes from Pablo Paster who writes for TreeHugger, a favorite news and product source for all things green and sustainable.
We particularly liked this tidbit because it deals with another of our favorite topics. Wine!
Many people when seeing our cork line of products, ask, ‘isn’t cork scarce?’
Our answer echoes what is mentioned below. Cork has been responsible for an overabundance of tainted wine. And that cost wineries money.
But that’s not the whole story…..read on……..
The Lifecycle Analysis study by PWC certainly tells a compelling story. In our case, the Cork we use here at bambu, all comes from China!!
Enjoy……
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco
Image Source: CorkTruck.com
Dear Pablo: It seems that alternatives to traditional bottle corks are gaining in popularity but are they a more eco-friendly option?
Today you can find wine closures ranging from the traditional cork to synthetic corks and aluminum screw top closures. Even the traditional glass bottle itself has been replaced by some wineries with plastic wine bottle-shaped bottles, TetraPaks, and ‘Bag-in-Box’ packages. While many of the packaging innovations are the result of efforts in shipping weight reduction, the new closures are motivated by different factors.
Alternatives to cork
Since 90 percent of the annual 340,000 ton cork production comes from Europe (Portugal 52 percent, Spain 32 percent, Italy six percent) the energy used, emissions created, and cost of shipping corks to wine-producing regions in New Zealand and Australia are not insignificant. According to Tyler Colman, of DrVino.com, “almost whole countries, such as New Zealand, are bottling under screw caps now.” In addition to this, the aluminum screw caps are readily recyclable in current recycling systems, that may not be equipped to accept used corks. Another problem with cork is that it can lead to “cork taint,” from the presence of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which imparts an aroma similar to a moldy rag. According to the cork industry’s association, APCOR, the rate of cork taint is around 1%, while Wine Spectator has found it to be as high as 7%.
Cork: The life cycle story
But cork is not all bad. Cork is a sustainable harvested, renewable resource that comes from the Cork Oak Tree. At the age of 25 the tree’s bark can be harvested every 9 years, for a period of around 200 years. While the cork is growing it is sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and the financial viability of cork growers helps provide long term habitat protection for countless species. According to an independent LCA study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers determined that corks are the most sustainable wine closure, and another study of wine closures showed that a cork resulted in 8 grams of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 16 for a synthetic cork, and 52 grams for a 35 percent recycled aluminum screw cap.
Image Source: CorkSupply
Can used corks be recycled?
So, cork appears to be best, but what do you do with those accumulated corks?
One program started by Amorim, the world’s #1 cork producer, will recycle your corks into beneficial reuses such as show soles, floor tiles, and soil amendments. Visit ReCorkAmerica.com for more information. You are only limited by your imagination. Check out some great creativity brought to champagne corks
Champagne, ahh, another favorite topic of ours….