Why Cork – Five reasons to choose cork

WHY CORK – FIVE REASONS TO CHOOSE CORK

Nowadays many designers are choosing cork as a leading material, because it’s possible to create unique pieces of cork without harming nature. This is a raw material within the Eco Design Guidelines (Directive 2009/125 / EC) — that respects eco design requirements to increase energy efficiency while ensures a high level of environmental protection — , a recurring concern these days, that Online Cork shares in a daily basis.

Also, the softness of cork is another of the characteristics that our clients value and look up to.

Read this article to find out five reasons why you should choose products made of cork or have it at home.

1. High Durability – Cork has been known for is high compressive strength, stiffness, and  resistant  to wear, thanks to its natural honeycomb structure, which makes it less affect by impact than other hard surfaces. It also has a good resistance against liquids. This practically unlimited durability, maintaining technical characteristics for a long period of time, makes cork very suitable to daily use and an exceptional option to create lifetime products.
   
2. Health and Economy Benefits – Cork has benefits for consumer health, it is antistatic and hypoallergenic, which means is a poor conductor of electricity, repealing static, doesn’t absorb dust and prevents the appearance of mites, making it able of being used safely by people with allergies, like asthma. In addition to it health benefits, cork production also contributes to economic development, through jobs creation and due to the high market value of cork. According to APCOR, “montados are one of the few examples of fully sustainable forestry exploitation. The number of jobs in the field of forestry exploration is estimated at 6500, but there are also thousands of indirect jobs.” In the cork market, the quote “nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed”, of the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, makes perfect sense. During the entire production process of the most varied cork goods/products, all the waste can be transformed into useful and high qualify products: since the bottle stoppers, decorative items, home products, design items, bags, wallets or shoes, even cork dust can be used to co-generate electricity.  Which makes cork a very sustainable choice.
   
3. Biodiversity Conservation – Cork oak montado is one of the world’s 35 most important ecosystems for biodiversity conservation. Is home to wildlife, grasslands and diverse flora. Biodiversity can be defined as “The variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations. Includes ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity” (IUCN, UNEP and WWF, 1991). Cork oaks forests can support 135 species of plants every square, used for different purposes: medicinal, culinary or others. Which makes cork an environmentally friendly choice.
   
4. Loved by Animals – More than two hundred species of animals found in cork oak montado an ideal condition for survival. According to APCOR, “there is a population of endangered Bonelli’s eagles in Portugal (77-80 pairs according to Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade) which has adapted to nesting almost solely in cork oak trees. (…) Southern Portugal also has a small Golden Eagle population, and thriving peregrine falcon and griffon vulture populations in the montados, a semi-perennial home to other threatened species such as the red kite and lesser kestrel.” These characteristics make cork an animal-friendly choice.
   
5. Natural Talent of Self-Regeneration – The cork oak is the only tree with self-regenerating bark, making cork a 100 % renewable, recyclable, ecological, and sustainable product, 100% natural.  According to the World Wildlife Federation, a cork tree that has its bark removed every nine years will absorb up to five times as much CO2 than a similar tree that is left idle.
   

It’s a long list of benefits that make cork such a special raw material. We hope this five reasons make you understand not only that cork is the best fabric out there, but that also has great benefits for health, economy, biodiversity and life.

Cork is without a doubt the best purchase option.

Our advise is “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last” — Vivienne Westwood.

Source: APCOR Portuguese Cork Association