Do you know where cork comes from?

What is the Cork Industry Federation and what do they do? 

One of the Cork Industry Federation’s aims is to spread knowledge about how cork is grown and the amazing properties that make it one of the world’s most versatile, eco-friendly and renewable materials.

Cork is one of nature’s mysteries: a material that renews itself every nine years from the bark of a special oak tree known as Quercus Suber. These trees which can live for more than 200 years in countries around the Mediterranean are so special that they are protected by law in Portugal and they are never cut down.

Instead, in the heat of summer, they allow their outer bark to be cut off and then it re-grows every nine years when it can be harvested again.

Cork has been used for thousands of years and today more and more applications are still being discovered. We now know that every cubic centimetre of cork contains approximately 40 million cells each containing microscopic amounts of air composed of nitrogen and oxygen. This unique cellular structure allows a natural cork stopper to be compressed and then instantly revert to 85% of its original size to form an airtight seal in a bottle. No man-made material or other natural product has this capability.

Because of its unique properties: elasticity, lightweight, impermeability, insulation and resistance to vibration, cork has many uses in the modern world. In space exploration it is often used as part of the heat shielding to protect re-entry vehicles.

In hospitals and laboratories cork is used to protect and transport radioactive pharmaceutical materials and in the construction of modern roads and bridges it is frequently employed as a vital part of expansion joints.

Cork’s origin and its many uses

In spite of this, it is as stoppers in wine bottles and other drink products that provide cork growers with their main source of revenue. Other common uses for cork today are for insulation in buildings because it reduces sound and vibrations as well as variations in temperature. Cork is also used decoratively in homes for flooring and wall coverings. It is even used in sports equipment such as cricket and bowling balls. Suppliers of these products can be found on the Cork Industry Federation website at: https://www.cork-products.co.uk/products.html

The benefits of using cork

Cork is a renewable and non-polluting material that can be collected every 9 years, without any damage to the environment. All cork material is 100% recyclable and the cork tree itself absorbs between 3 to 5 times more carbon dioxide than other trees during its lifetime. In Portugal alone the cork forests absorb more than 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year!

The Cork Industry Federation has created a website for primary school teachers here: www.PlanetCork.org . This website has lots of information to help teach children about sustainability and all there is to know about cork oak trees and the benefits of using cork. It even includes songs and mono drawings of animals and trees to download and colour in. This initiative has been created by the Cork Industry Federation in order to spread awareness about the cork industry and its benefits.

Where can I learn more about the Cork Industry Federation?

The Cork Industry Federation has information on the benefits of using cork and the positive impact its oak forests have on the environment, all which can be accessed on their website linked below. Cork also has many material property benefits, which means it can be used for all sorts of products. If you are interested in some of its other uses other than wine bottle stoppers, or just finding more about the cork industry in general. Visit the following link for more information: http://cork-products.co.uk/