Being an eco-minded consumer is simply not about the vineyard. It seems that the wine industry is betting that consumers want and appreciate grapes grown in a prescribed way that allows for designations such as: sustainable, biodynamic, green, organic or natural.
As if the grapes were not the only component of winemaking under the long arm of the “wine police”, the winery receives special attention in aspects such as the use of renewable energy (wind and solar), water recycling , fermentation additives and closures; if you close
Have you ever thought: What is life after the death of a cork? Well, there is one. An entirely new industry has sprung up in the United States that recycles, reuses, and disposes of used cork. You thought you were helping the planet by tossing your used corks into that glass jar only to occasionally look through them to remind yourself of that special wine.
The reuse of cork opposes the trend of recycling. In an article republished in “Salon,” author Anna Sanford writes that recycling in California is down about 5 percentage points and that recycling centers are closing primarily because recycled materials, like plastic bottles, are less valuable due to the price of oil and plastic. It is a petroleum derivative. But recycled cork is booming. One organization that focuses on reusing cork for the good of the planet is a nonprofit forestry organization, Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, (CFCA) that operates Cork harvest.
Cork is an interesting product because a cork tree is never cut down. Corks are made from the bark, which is harvested by hand every 9 to 11 years. The trees can be harvested for up to 150 years, without damaging the tree. The cork oak is from the oak family, (Quercus suber) so the cork will impart some of the same characteristics as an oak barrel. From an environmental point of view, the carbon footprint of producing a cork is significantly less than that of producing metal screw caps or plastic wine closures. With consumer-friendly recycling methods, the carbon footprint for reuse of used wine corks, through cork harvest program is virtually zero. Additionally, there are no active recycling programs for screw caps or plastic closures in the US.
13 billion wine corks are produced each year, with 51% of wine corks coming from Portugal and 30% from Spain. Cork is natural, non-toxic, biodegradable and a fully renewable product for the wine industry.
The same cannot be said for aluminum screw caps and plastic closures. When making a cork for a wine bottle there are about 26 steps and in an environmental study by “The Academic Wino” the cork is hands down the best closure from an ecological perspective. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies show that each cork sequesters 9g of CO2.
According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint study concluded that cork is the most environmentally friendly wine stopper compared to metal or plastic. The Corticeira Amorim study, (“Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminum and Plastic Wine Stoppers”), was developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, following the ISO 14040 standards. The results concluded that, in relation to the emission of gases from greenhouse effect, each plastic cap releases 10 times more CO2, while an aluminum screw cap releases 26 times more CO2 than a cork cap in the manufacturing process. The 26 steps in the carbon footprint analysis are relevant to cork manufacturing and include its arrival at the winery.
As mentioned above, there are two main players in the relatively new cork reuse industry: Cork ReHarvest, which is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and ReCork. I came across Cork ReHarvest while at a Whole Foods store and saw a used cork collection box. I called the Cork Quality Council in Sonoma, CA to find out what this was all about. The organization’s Executive Director is Peter Weber. Peter confirmed that there are two large groups that are active in aggregating used corks through relationships with various retail, hotel and winery locations. “There are probably a dozen smaller organizations that collect used corks for various special applications,” Peter commented.
Cork ReHarvest, being a non-profit organization, uses the used corks they collect for educational programs to raise awareness of cork forests, promote cork applications (wine closures), and explain the ecological benefits of cork wine. cork as an application. Cork recycling happens pretty fast. ReHarvest reports that approximately 98% of purchased wine is consumed within 48 hours. That means corks can go back into the recycled system quickly.
Cork ReHarvest partners with approximately 1,500 collection centers. “In addition to Whole Foods, there are major restaurants like Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Caesars Palace that support our recycling program along with major wineries that send us used corks for recycling – we prefer to call it reuse.” says Patrick Spencer of Cork ReHarvest whose offices are in Salem, Oregon. “We sell collected corks to 6 recycling partners in the US who then distribute them to customers in the US only.” For a winemaker, a “Triple A” grade cork can cost between $1.00 and $1.50 each. A recycler will sell these used corks for approximately $0.09 each in 1,000 quantities.
The question remains: what are used corks for? Part of the recycled cork reaches the concrete due to its insulating properties. The recycled paper industry uses ground cork combined with reconstituted paper to make packaging material. The sports and fishing industry uses reprocessed cork for bobbers and grips, dart boards, and household items such as trivets. The construction industry uses recycled cork for flooring underpayments. Even those sandals you love can have a cork sole lining.
Four times a year, the non-profit organization Cork Forest Conservation Alliance conducts eco-tours to 3 of Spain’s cork forest regions to give travelers a total immersion in Cork culture, food, wine and forestry. these extraordinary forests, http://www.frombarktobottle .org
Cork is the eco-friendly gift that keeps on giving; has a life after the wine is gone.
