Don’t Toss That Cork!

Eco-friendly oenophiles will be happy to know that their conservation efforts don’t have to stop at recycling the bottle—wine corks are wanted too. ReCork America has drop-off locations in the Bay Area. The recycled corks can be used for everything from insulation to ping pong paddles. Yemm & Hart, a Missouri recycler, has been collecting cork stoppers since 2004, converting them into cork tiles. Visit the site to get mailing information for your own donation or to request tile samples.
 
You might think you’re saving the Mediterranean’s cork oak groves by purchasing wine with synthetic or metal closures, but the tree is not killed to obtain its cork bark. In fact, according to Audubon Magazine, the cork oak groves are part-time homes to more than 250 species of birds and still stand since they provide a source of income for the farmers who own them. Non-cork stoppers now threaten that ecosystem.