They are not biodegradable and are rarely recycled. Plastic closures are made from petro-chemicals, many of which pose potential health risks if not carefully monitored and controlled. e The manufacturers of aluminum metal screw caps often utilize toxic materials, and in comparison to the production of natural cork, 24 times more greenhouse gasses are released and over 10 times more energy is used when making one screw cap. Because of their small size, there are currently no recycling facilities in the U.S. The cork that is collected does not go back into wine bottles it is ground up and manufactured into new cork products. There are two national organizations – ReCork ( ) and Cork ReHarvest – that collect used cork so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill. Natural cork is both biodegradable and recyclable. Q. When it comes to waste disposal, how do screw caps and plastic closures compare with natural cork?Ī. The cork forests are now being more sustainably managed than ever before, and new planting is always ongoing. Based on current estimates, there is enough cork to seal all wine bottles produced in the world for the next 100 years.
Like sheep, whose shorn wool grows back over time, the bark from a cork oak regenerates every nine years.Ī.No. What happens to the cork trees after the bark is removed?Ī. Contrary to widely held misconceptions, the trees are not cut down or harmed in any way in the harvesting process. In short, the cork forests are one of the most sustainable and environmentally harvested forests in the world. The forests also provide the greatest defense against the desertification of this region. The cork groves absorb millions of tons of CO 2each year helping to combat global warming. These groves are a vital source of income for thousands of family farmers, who for generations have lived and worked in these forests. Why are the cork forests so important?Ī. The cork groves in the Mediterranean Basin contain some of the world’s highest levels of forest biodiversity including endemic plants and endangered species such as the Iberian Lynx, the Iberian Imperial Eagle, and the Barbary Deer.
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