Is Cork environmentally friendly?
Is cork environmentally friendly? Yes, cork is one of the most eco-friendly materials there is.
Cork is created by stripping away bark from the Cork Oak; what’s taken, grows back. Chopping the tree down hardly benefits the cork farmer. So if you harvest with care, everyone is a winner! Cork is sustainable.
The introduction of the aluminum screw-top bottle lid really hurt the cork industry. As a result, Cork Oak forests began to be cleared. When a forest is cleared an ecosystem is destroyed, animals and insects die and soils are eroded. Cork Oak forests are very good at supporting bio-diversity.
Then, if destroying forests wasn’t bad enough, the bauxite needed to make aluminum is open-cast mined. Open-cast mining is hugely damaging to the environment.
Another cool thing about cork is that it’s recyclable. Any waste created, during processing, can be added back in or used in other ways.
Cork is used in the manufacture of auto products, musical instruments, sports goods, and of course promotional merchandise!
Promotional items or parts of promotional items, which are made from cork are a more natural and sustainable option.
Finally, cork just feels really nice. It’s soft and tactile. It’s a natural material.
Open and fair
Lots of products purport to be environmentally friendly. This post forms part of a series that attempts to provide an open and honest assessment of a material or product’s environmental credentials. If we’ve got something wrong, or you would like to see further points added, please contact sales@rosslyn.co.uk
Sources