CORK

Material Guide

Category:

Natural material, renewable, biodegradable, recyclable

Other names:

Corky, phellem

Short description:

Cork is a layer of a bark tissue (phellem) of cork oak tree. It is very buoyant and flexible, yet fire-retardant and durable. The harvesting of cork does not harm the tree and can be done every 9-13 years after the tree reaches the age of 25 years.

Impact on the environment:

Positive. When the cork is harvested the tree absorbs even higher levels of CO2. Because the trees lives for up to 300 years and are not cute down when harvested, there is not much deforestation done. The only harm can be done when cork as product is treated with chemicals.

Use:

Bottle/wine stoppers, furniture, baseball and crickets balls, fishing, clothing & accessories, thermal and sound insulation, flooring and wall coverings, toys, etc…

Types:

Look for cork as an alternatives material for some of your preferred products such in furniture or toys as well as in bags and other accessories,

What to look for?

Look for makers that work with sustainably harvested wood that might have certifications such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program, to name the most world known. Types of wood that are considered sustainable: Oak, maple, white ash, bamboo, black cherry, mahogany and pine.

Did you know?

60% of cork production goes to wine stoppers production. Most of the cork products such as bulletin boards or flooring tiles are simply byproduct of this production.

Post written by

Zora Roth

Tags

Categories

CONSCIOUS DICTIONARY, MATERIALS

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