Latest findings further substantiate the environmental benefits of cork; offering a major advantage to wineries in their drive to ensure carbon neutrality in their packaging
NEW YORK, NY (July 28, 2021) – The Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) is proud to share the results of recent studies conducted by three of the world’s largest auditing companies that aimed to measure the positive environmental benefits of cork closures.
In a move that should have a profound impact on the way that cork is viewed in wine industries around the world, these studies revealed that natural cork closures have a negative carbon footprint when used to seal wines bottled in glass containers.
The studies measured the life cycle stages of the cork value chain, from the forest floor to the delivery of a finished stopper, building on previous research that had clearly articulated cork’s unique sustainability role. With the addition of the updated research findings, the studies showed that a single natural cork stopper has a balance of up to – 309 grams of CO2; numbers for sparkling wine stoppers go even higher at up to – 589 grams.
“These studies confirm what we have known for a long time—natural cork is the most sustainable and highest quality closure for fine wine on the market,” noted Joao Rui Ferreira, President of APCOR. “But it also reinforces the wine world’s understanding of cork’s incredible sustainability credentials, and its natural properties as a versatile raw material that is both recyclable and compostable.”
Wineries are increasingly adopting sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to address the effects of climate change. A new study conducted by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, found that carbon dioxide in the air in May of this year was the highest since measurements began in 1958. Cork’s ability to capture CO2 makes it an ideal closure for producers striving to offset their environmental impact.
As a renewable and natural product, cork is harvested without damaging or cutting down the trees, which live for 200 years or longer. During its lifetime a cork oak tree can absorb 20 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere while producing up to 65,000 corks. Through sustainable harvesting, the cork industry is helping to fight climate change by preserving Europe’s largest oak forests from deforestation, while also providing high paying jobs for agricultural farmers.
For nearly seven decades, APCOR has been at the forefront of promotional efforts advocating on behalf of natural cork closures and the use of cork in everyday products. It is the cork industry, through its products, that makes the cork oak ecosystem viable, contributing to the maintenance of forests and the populations that depend on them.
For more information about APCOR, visit www.apcor.pt and www.100percentcork.org. You can follow APCOR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For questions about APCOR, please contact Augustus Weed or Leah Isenberg.
About APCOR
Associação Portuguesa da Cortiça (APCOR) exists to promote natural cork and its products. APCOR is the employers’ association of the cork sector that represents, promotes and carries out research in the Portuguese cork industry. It was created in 1956 and is based in Santa Maria de Lamas, in the council of Santa Maria da Feira, at the heart of the cork industry around 30 kilometers from Porto, Portugal’s second largest city. Membership of the association is open to all companies operating in the fields of production, marketing or export of cork products. The organization advocates on behalf of the Portuguese cork industry worldwide and is the driving force of an industry based on tradition, innovation and sustainability.
About Colangelo & Partners
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