TreeHugger Picks: Cork Does It All
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 05. 8.06
TreeHugger likes cork, not just for its sustainable properties, but for its remarkable versatility. Check out all the applications in which cork can help us all be better TreeHuggers.
1) Walking. Simple Shoes are using cork, a great vibration absorber, in the soles of their shoes.
2) Flooring. It's fire-resistant, reduces heat loss, mold- and bug-repellent, and reduces sound and vibration, and is available in mosaic tiles for easy installation.
3) Sitting. In addition to stools, cork makes great loungers as well.
4) Creating. Cork fabric can be used to help make clothing, bags, wallets, purses and even upholstered furniture.
5) Wallcovering. Offering an alternative to plain white walls, cork is an excellent sound-proofer as well.
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Does anyone know how I could recycle old cork insulation? It is crumbling and has a weird coating on it so I am not sure it can be saved. Let me know if you have any cork-tree-hugger-suggestions.
thanks!
Well if your cork is crumbling it is pretty much at the end of its life. My suggestion would be to rip it out and replace it. What kind of coating does it have on it?
Talk to you later,
john@corkinnovations.com
Can you calculate the energy needed to make a screw cap v's cork stopper?
All cork is recyclable as long as there is no surface treatment. It can be made into gaskets, wall insulation of flooring underlay. Certainly there is more enegery used to produce a synthetic cork stopper, but the real killer is that enough are being used every year now to circle the earth and there is no real recycling effort for them.
Queen of Cork
I have about 1000 corks saved from wine bottles. Is there a reuse for these other than a trivet?