Antonio Amorim, President & CEO of Amorim Cork and Founding Partner of Cork Collective on What the Cork Collective Means to Him
1. What inspired you to help launch the Cork Collective, the first ever global cork recycling program?
Cork is a unique product in which nothing is wasted. Everything about cork can be used as raw material for new uses and applications. Our inspiration derived from the desire to give cork stoppers a second life, the opportunity to educate consumers about the sustainability credentials of cork as a natural material that comes from the bark of a tree while putting into perspective the downfalls of artificial closures used in the wine and spirits industries. The Cork Collective is the sum of the efforts on the part of several entities trying to increase awareness for the disposal of used cork stoppers in the right places after which an associated organization directs those stoppers to a renewed lease on life. We all wished the Cork Collective had an earlier start, but momentum will surely pick up and this will be a program that we will all be very proud of.
2. We understand that you are going to use some of the recycle corks to resurface playgrounds. Can you tell us about what sounds like a perfect upcycling solution?
Used corks are raw material for an array of applications: from underlays to cork floor backing, to insulation, to ground covering material for playgrounds to name a few. Faced with ever-increasing demand for natural products as surfacing options for playgrounds, the grinding of used corks into granules for this purpose and other applications is truly a new lease on life for this 100% renewable material. This program is designed to occur only within the geographical borders of the US.
3. What are your aspirations for the Cork Collective in the years to come?
We would like to get more and more major supermarket, hotel and restaurant chains as well as consumers all over the US onboard, knowing exactly where they can and should place used corks for recycling. Our ambition will continue to grow in tandem with the success harnessed by The Cork Collective as a recycling program.