Sustainability

Cork is Sustainable

In these times of increased concern for the environment, cork remains the only tree which can regenerate itself after each harvest, leaving the tree unharmed.

Cork is an all natural product derived from the bark of the cork tree. Cork is a variety of oak tree which regrows its bark every 9 years. This results in an all natural, environmentally responsible product with exceptional physical properties.

It is cork’s extraordinary ability to continuously regenerate itself that has allowed our work to be earth friendly, a notion that forms the foundation of our business. This is something we are very proud of, especially in today’s industrialized marketplace.

Cork is the bark of an oak tree known botanically as QUERCUS SUBER. It is an evergreen which grows in commercial stands only in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea. 

The cork bark is stripped off 2/3 of the tree. The first harvest does not occur until the tree is approximately 20 years old. A thin layer of protective inner bark gives the cork oak its unique ability to survive and regenerate itself after the debarking process. 

Unique Nature of Cork

Cork is a natural product with remarkably unique qualities unmatched by any other natural material. One cubic inch of cork consists of not less than 200 million completely enclosed air cells each measuring 1/1000″ in diameter. Each minute cell is 14 sided which virtually eliminates empty spaces between the cells.