A Crash Course On Cork

Cork is everywhere, but is it just a fad or something worth getting excited about?  

With growing concerns on the environmental impact of our consumer choices, people are starting to look for alternative, more sustainable materials. Could cork be the answer to our problems? At Stash Agency we took on the challenge to find out everything we could related to cork, below is our one stop mini crash course… 

Portugal has the largest percentage of global cork forests, followed by Spain. Cork is considered to be a renewable or sustainable material due to the tree not being cut down to obtain cork. Instead, when the cork tree reaches 25 years old and its’ trunk is wide enough, bark is peeled away and then the cork is carefully extracted by highly skilled harvesters.  The trees are in no way damaged – the cork is naturally renewable and grows back after nine years. Cork trees live for around 300 years so that is a lot of cork! Additionally, cork is a material that is easy to recycle and is completely biodegradable so a win win.  

Looking at the use of cork in products, it provides a tactile warm surface. Cork is a resilient material that can be produced in flat, thin sheets. This process enables the development of a range of accessories and housewares.  

Through our research we have found that cork makes for a great stopper, and not just in a bottle of wine. Because of its hydrophobic qualities, cork stoppers work on both dry and wet goods. Coffee cups any-one!?  

We at Stash Agency are now in love with cork and could talk to you about it all day. We are actively looking to build more sustainable eco ranges using the material and are excited to find out what else this amazing material can create. Contact us to explore our latest cork based corporate gifts & eco friendly giveaways.