Wine Cork Recycling

When a person thinks of cork, they may think of awine corks off in designated areas, the wine corks
variety of things. Some people may think of theare granulated and turned into products such as pin
material used for bulletin boards, while some mayboards, tile, engine gaskets, hockey balls, safety
think of material used for coasters. Others,mats, and boat decks. Recently, wine cork has even
thoroughly confused, may simply think of cork as thebeen used in rocket technology.
other white meat. Chances are, however, when most
people think of cork, they think of wine. Part of eachBecause wine cork is one of the easier materials to
others' lives, the two are nearly inseparable, especiallyrecycle, there seems little reason to not recycle it.
without a wine opener.However, the US does not routinely engage in wine
cork recycling, leaving some environmentalists to
What is Cork?wonder why.
It would be easy to define a cork with a simple,
unrefined answer. We could say that cork is aThis wonderment, not limited to individuals, has been
lightweight, inert substance providing blockage ofadopted by a few US based companies. One of
liquids and leave it at that. But, because cork is anthese companies, Yemm and Hart, a firm specializing
elemental part of wine, it is bestowed with certainin the recycling of products, is conducting an
elegance and sophistication. For this reason, wine corkexperiment asking for wine corks that they can
deserves a more grandiose introduction: Cork hailsrecycle. Theorizing that cork is a valuable resource
from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, Quercus Suber.that should not go to waste, Yemm and Hart plan to
Produced extensively in Portugal, cork enjoys beingbegin manufacturing tack boards, coasters, plaques,
fire resistant, providing insulation, and the company ofand floor tiles all made from wine cork.
fine alcohol.
What Are Creative Ways to Recycle Wine Cork?
Since cork is very elastic and impermeable, it makesIf the concept of wine cork recycling catches on,
a great bottle stopper; for cork, just like for many ofrecycling wine cork in the US may someday be as
us, wine was destiny. Its adaptability, additionally,simple as recycling newspapers or soda cans. In the
makes it an easy material to compress withoutmeantime, however, those who live in America can
change to the original shape. It was these qualitiesrecycle their wine corks through a few creative
that intrigued Dom Perignon, a French Benedictinemeans.
monk, to use cork in a bottle of champagne, thus
influencing the world of wine from that moment on.While some people have donated wine corks to
children's museums, for use in displays and dioramas,
How Do Wine Corks Affect the Environment?others have made wreaths and decorative pieces
Wine corks are environmentally friendly, like aout of old wine corks. Some people wire together
material that is always willing to lend a helping hand orwine corks and make hot pads while others suggest
an encouraging word to the ecosystem. This makesgluing sliced wine corks to the bottom of vases and
wine corks stand out from other forms of packaging,knickknacks, as a means to keep these items from
forms that often hinder their surroundings rather thanscratching tables and shelves. People have even
help them.found old wine corks useful as door stops, knife
scrubbers, and pin cushions.
Wine corks are biodegradable, natural, and
renewable. They also don't go to waste, with eachJust as wine should never go to waste, neither
aspect of a wine cork having the potential toshould wine corks. A highly useable material, there are
become something else. Even cork dust can be usedseveral ways wine corks can be recycled, even if it's
for fuel and cork residue can be used to make othernot routinely done on a national level. With all the
cork products.kinds of packaging that can destroy the Earth, cork
is an exception. A special material, cork is able to
Cork forests, where cork oak trees reside, areprotect wine and the world by putting a stop to
important to the balance of the ecosystems withwastefulness.Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at
several species, including endangered species, callingWith a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes
these forests home.articles on everything from how to hold a glass of
wine to how to hold your hair back after too many
What is Wine Cork Recycling?glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the
intention that readers will remember wine is fun and
Many places, such as Europe and Australia, haveeach glass of anything fun should always be savored.
programs set up for wine cork recycling. Dropping