Is cork sustainable?

Peace of mind

Before launching BENT&BREE we researched if cork was in fact sustainable.

During our trip to Portugal we met with APCOR, the Portuguese Association of Cork. APCOR is a reputable organization carrying out constant research in the Portuguese cork industry.

Certainly, we were happy to learn that not only was cork one of the most sustainable materials in the world but also there wasn’t a shortage of it.

Here are some facts about cork :

Cork is a 100% natural raw material
Only the bark is extracted from the cork oak tree by experienced workers without harming the tree.
The bark will regenerate after approximately 9 years.
Extracting the bark from part of the tree contributes to the health of the tree
Portugal’s produces more than 50% of the world’s cork

Most cork is used for cork stoppers that can be recycled by shredding, resulting in granules that can be used in the making of shoes and fishing accessories.

If you’re a wine drinker, always look for cork stopper drop off locations. A great website for this is recork.com, whose mission is “inspiring positive environmental change using recycled cork”.

Cork is not just for cork stoppers

We use cork to make handbags, jewelry and home accessories. We use the best cork to make our handbags and the agglomerated cork to make our sustainable home collection. This collection consists of cork ice buckets, placemats, wine chillers, etc. We are happy to be partnering with hotels and restaurants that are focused on sustainability.