saving the corks

ReCORK America has started a recycling program to reclaim a small portion of the estimated 13 billion natural cork wine stoppers sold in the world each year. The six-month trial will involve 25 Northern California Whole Foods Market stores. Each store will have a collection box situated in the wine department. Customers will be encouraged to add wine corks to their list of recyclable packaging.

Roger Archey, program manager for ReCORK, is pleased with the partnership. “Whole Foods Market is a benchmark for environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices,” says Archey. “We are pleased to be able to provide Whole Foods Market customers with a convenient recycling option that extends the useful life of corks for years to come.”

Unlike plastic or metal screwcap closures, recycled cork can be turned into flooring tile, building insulation, shoe soles, fishing rod handles, bulletin boards, and even soil conditioner. Natural cork is biodegradable, sustainable and a valuable source for carbon retention.

Adesina Stewart, green mission specialist for Whole Foods Market’s Northern California Region, likes the idea of providing customers with more recycling options. “What’s not to like about recycling corks?” says Stewart. “With billions of corks ending up in landfill each year, you can see how a seemingly insignificant packaging product like a wine cork can have a positive impact on our environment if we reuse it.”

For a listing of the Northern California Whole Foods Market stores participating in this recycling program, visit www.recorkamerica.com.

ReCORK America is a recycling program sponsored by Amorim, the world’s largest producer of natural cork wine closures, and their U.S. affiliates, Portocork America and Amorim Cork America. For information about Amorim’s sustainable business practices and environmental stewardship, visit their Web site at www.amorim.com.