Iconic New York City restaurants join high-profile leaders in wine, spirits, hospitality and design to support the circular economy and local community projects
New York, NY, September 11, 2024 – Leaders from across the hospitality industry, wine and spirits sectors, and the design community have joined forces to launch an exciting new sustainability initiative focused on cork stopper collection and recycling. The initiative, called the Cork Collective, is fueled by the expertise and passion of its founding partners—Rockwell Group, Amorim, BlueWell, and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits—and is dedicated to transforming used real cork stoppers into valuable resources for our cities, showcasing the material’s versatility and circular potential. A 100% sustainable and renewable material that comes from trees that are never felled, cork products represent one of the world’s great sustainability stories, which the Cork Collective is excited to share with its network of thought leaders across various industries.
Through the collection, recycling, and repurposing of natural cork stoppers, the Cork Collective creates a ‘closed-loop’ system where natural resources are reused, upcycled, and regenerated to minimize waste. Forging hospitality partnerships to institute a large-scale collection and recycling system, the Cork Collective connects essential processes and collaborators across the value chain, encompassing the world’s largest wine, spirits and hospitality markets. This initiative paves the way for a truly circular economy of natural cork that repurposes stoppers into materials that can keep significant amounts of CO2—retained only by real cork stoppers—sequestered for decades, while also supporting eco-friendly community projects such as playground revitalization.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the Cork Collective ‘loop’ is its role as a conduit, funneling the design and architectural solutions to communities, and working closely with non-profit and government agencies. This initiative will use recycled cork stoppers to help resurface neighborhood playgrounds and tot lots, benefiting children by creating vibrant communal spaces through sustainable design across New York City.
The Cork Collective launched its program in New York this summer with a city-wide collection program in partnership with restaurants and hotels, with the goal of scaling up to a nation-wide program over the coming years. Cork Collective bins made from cork and other natural materials have been deployed to participating restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and an electric vehicle-based delivery and pick-up system employing custom cork eQuads has been developed to minimize carbon emissions.
“I am incredibly proud to be a founding member of the Cork Collective. It represents so much of what inspires and propels Rockwell Group every day: The opportunity to give back to our community and make a difference; to turn a hospitality lens on a new challenge; and to bring together fantastic design and unexpected collaborators. We have been experimenting with cork for some time—its adaptability and powerful sustainable qualities make it a material of the future.” – DAVID ROCKWELL, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, ROCKWELL GROUP
“The U.S. is a crucial market for both wine and spirits, so we couldn’t be happier to be one of the founding members of the Cork Collective. As the world leader in cork, supplying some 6 billion corks per year, we have partnered with different institutions worldwide to give cork stoppers a second life, upcycling them into applications as diverse as transportation, flooring, architectural and design products, footwear and even aerospace materials. Cork’s unbeatable sustainability credentials give our clients the ability to further their contribution to a more sustainable world and the Cork Collective allows for a truly circular economy to become embedded in the supply chain.” – ANTONIO AMORIM, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMORIM CORK
“The Cork Collective’s mission aligns with our own environmental sustainability vision—to harness the passion of our people, trading partners and communities to take measurable environmental action and contribute to a sustainable, hospitable planet for future generations. As the preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, we sit in a perfect position to connect sustainability-minded wine and spirits producers, who are also our valued supplier partners, with this important initiative. We are confident it will make a meaningful impact throughout our great hospitality industry. – LEE SCHRAGER, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, SOUTHERN GLAZER’S WINE & SPIRITS
Joining the Cork Collective’s group of high-profile partners are some of New York’s top restaurants, hospitality groups, and personalities including: Melba Wilson (Melba’s), Simon Kim and Victoria James (Gracious Hospitality Management: COTE Korean Steakhouse and COQODAQ), John Ragan, President of USHG Restaurants and Master Sommelier, and José Andrés (José Andrés Group at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad: The Bazaar, Nubeluz, Zaytinya). Others in support of the collection and recycling efforts in 2024 include:
- Major Food Group (CARBONE, New York)
- Marriott (The New York EDITION, W New York – Union Square, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park)
- Mercer Street Hospitality (Bar Tulix, Bowery Meat Company, Lure Fishbar, Smyth Tavern)
- Nobu Restaurants (Nobu Downtown and Nobu Fifty Seven)
- Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson
- Le Bernardin
- Carlotto
- Frevo
- Hawksmoor
- Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi
- L’Avenue at Saks
- Marlow Collective (Diner, Marlow & Sons, and Stranger Wines)
- NeueHouse Madison Square
- Oceans New York
- CxRA
- The Paramount Club
Cork Collective and Rockwell Group enlisted 2×4, a global design consultancy headquartered in New York City, to create the project’s strategy and branding.
Cork by the Numbers
Every year, cork oak forests absorb as much CO2 as driving 1.5 million cars all year would produce, and through the production of wine and spirits corks, the net effect of a tree producing 1,000 natural corks is that it removes around 250 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere. Cork is hand-harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, making it a 100% natural and renewable resource. This sustainable material regrows, allowing for repeated harvesting without ever harming the trees that can live more than 200 years.
Surprisingly, less than one percent of all corks are recycled each year. When thrown out and sent to a landfill, corks naturally biodegrade, but, with 13 billion corks produced annually worldwide—enough to circle the globe 10 times or reach the moon and back—the potential for circular value capture and upcycling is immense.
To learn more about the Cork Collective, or to inquire about joining its cork collection program, visit https://corkcollective.org. You can also follow the initiative on Cork Collective’s Instagram. For questions about the Cork Collective, please contact Leah Isenberg of Colangelo & Partners at lisenberg@colangelopr.com.
About Cork Collective – https://corkcollective.org
Cork Collective is an initiative fueled by the expertise and passion of its founding partners—Rockwell Group, Amorim, Bluewell & Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits—and is dedicated to transforming cork waste into valuable resources, showcasing its versatility and circularity. Cork is harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, making it a 100% natural and renewable resource. This sustainable material regrows, allowing for repeated harvesting without harming the trees. Through partnerships with restaurants and hospitality venues, the Cork Collective collects and recycles wine corks, turning them into eco-friendly projects. Its initiatives not only reduce waste, but also support community projects like playground revitalizations and sustainable design solutions.
About Rockwell Group – https://www.rockwellgroup.com/
Based in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Madrid, Rockwell Group is an interdisciplinary architecture and design firm that emphasizes innovation and thought leadership in every project. Founded in 1984 by David Rockwell, FAIA, and led by David and partners Shawn Sullivan and Greg Keffer, the 330-person firm merges performance and architecture to create extraordinary experiences and built environments across the globe. Inspired by theater, technology, and high-end craft, the firm creates a unique narrative for each project, ranging from hospitality to cultural and educational institutions to transportation hubs and Broadway sets. Honors include the AIANY President’s Award; a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award; a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for She Loves Me; two Emmy Awards; the Pratt Legends Award; the Presidential Design Award; the James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America; Interior Design’s Icon Award; Architectural Digest’s AD100 Hall of Fame.
About Amorim – https://www.amorimcork.com/en/
Amorim Cork is the largest cork processing group in the world. Founded in 1870, the company today has dozens of business units spread across five continents, exports numerous products to more than 100 countries and has a diversified network of 30 thousand customers. Basing its operations on strong sustainability credentials, and developing an activity with a positive impact on climate regulation, Amorim Cork offers a set of solutions, materials and articles for some of the most technological, disruptive and demanding activities on the globe, like aerospace, automotive, construction, sports, energy, interior design, and wine, sparkling and spirits industries. Currently under the leadership of the fourth generation of the family, which cultivates the values of equanimity, ambition, initiative, pride and attitude—the same as always during its more than 150 years of successful history. The company invests millions of euros annually in R&D, and recorded, in 2023, 986 million euros in sales, which includes the approximately 6 billion cork stoppers sold annually, representing 75.9% of consolidated sales.
About Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits – https://www.southernglazers.com/
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, building brands for moments that matter. The multi-generational, family-owned Company has operations in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, as well as brokerage operations through its WEBB Banks division in the Caribbean, Central and South America. In 2024, Southern Glazer’s was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. Southern Glazer’s urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits.
About BlueWell
BlueWell is the family office of William Wachtel. It is dedicated to impact investing, supporting not-for-profits, and bringing to bear novel ways to advance sustainability goals. BlueWell prides itself in thinking outside the box. The Cork Collective is the culmination of a journey the Amorim and Wachtel families embarked upon 15 years ago.
