Author: nehorai

What is cork?

Cork is a material made from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber, if you’re feeling fancy). The bark of the tree is usually processed and used to make other products, such as tableware, yoga bricks, and fashion accessories. Some products use natural, unprocessed cork.
Where does cork come from?

The country with the most cork is Portugal. While it only accounts for approximately 34% of the cork trees (by the square footage of land), it manufactures almost 50% of the cork worldwide, and is therefore known is the cork capital of the world. Our products are all imported directly from Portugal, because after 70 years of dealing with cork, we know that’s where the best quality cork comes from. We not only sell the cork we import, we also use it to make other great new products. 
Why is using cork products better than using wooden products?

Both cork products and wooden products are made of natural, biodegradable materials and are therefore better for the environment than many of the synthetic alternatives. However, unlike wooden products, there is no need to cut down the tree to manufacture cork! The cork bark is peeled off and it renews itself every 9 years or so, and keeps renewing itself until the tree dies at the ripe old age of 150-200 years! That makes cork one of the most eco-friendly materials available.
What kinds of products can be made of cork?

Most of us are familiar with the “regular” products – cork stoppers in wine bottles and memo boards. But cork today can (and is!) used for so much more. It is used today in interior decorating with cork wall tiles, there are yoga mats and bricks, cork accessories, and tableware. 
What are the advantages of using cork?

In addition to being very environmentally friendly, cork has other advantages. For example, using cork yoga bricks means using a material that’s more environmentally friendly than synthetic alternatives, but maintains the slight flexibility that wooden bricks lack. Cork is also very lightweight and easy to clean (always a plus!).
What are the disadvantages of using cork?

Cork is a natural, biodegradable material and as such, it won’t last as long as other synthetic materials. For example, cork will dry out if it is exposed to sunlight for extended periods so it’s important to minimize the exposure. Cork, while known for its flexibility, is also fragile and can break if not handled with care.
How should I care for my cork products?

The most important thing is to avoid too much direct sunlight and try to keep your products away from the air conditioning vent, which blows dry air and may dry out your cork. Cork can get wet but it’s best for it not to be submerged in water. If you need to clean your product, you can use a damp cloth to wipe it clean.
How can cork be “vegan”?

The term “vegan” is most commonly associated with food, namely foods made without any animal by-products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. However, the term also relates to the broader sense of a lifestyle that refrains from the use of animal by-products, including leather and wool. Cork is used to make special cork fabric. These fabrics are soft, flexible, and durable, making them an excellent alternative to leather. It is used in accessories such as purses, wallets, hats, belts, and even umbrellas!
Have another question we missed? Feel free to contact us and we’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as we can

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Many of us are aware of the importance of eating healthy foods. For some of us, that means more fruits and vegetables. Others may avoid preservatives and additives. For some, it means only organic, non-GMOs. We understand that we are directly affected by the food we ingest, and we should strive (even if we aren’t always successful), to consume healthier foods rather than junk food. At the very least, we feel that guilty twinge eating that pint of ice cream, or getting that fast food meal.

If this is true for ourselves, many parents have learned that they are even more careful with their children. It’s one thing for us to make a decision for ourselves to eat unhealthy foods. However, as the caretakers of our children, who rely on us to provide for them and take care of them, we feel differently. Many of us find ourselves encouraging healthier eating habits than the ones we adopt for ourselves.

What we don’t always realize is that we are affected by far more than just the foods we ingest. The products around us affect us as well. They may cause allergic reactions, or are just made out of materials that generally aren’t good for us. That is one of the reasons we encourage and promote the use of cork alternatives for yoga, as well as other areas.

Children’s toys are often made of foam and plastic – it’s cheap, it’s lightweight, it’s brightly colored. Just what a manufacturer wants. But is it good for our children? Is it safe for them? Cork toys, such as building blocks, are lightweight and hypoallergenic. They also have a degree of elasticity to them. This, combined with their minimal weight, makes them safer than wooden toys even in situations where the children throw the toys. They come in a calm, light brown tone which can have a soothing effect on children. It allows them to focus on building, and not the bright colorful visual stimulation. The blocks are also made as classic children’s blocks, without interconnecting pieces. This forces the child to concentrate on gently balancing the blocks, rather than pushing pieces to “click” together.

Another benefit of cork toys is the example it sets for our children in conserving the environment. While your adorable one-year-old may not know the difference just yet, they will. And if you have older children at home it is an opportunity to explain how important it is to use biodegradable materials, to avoid chopping down trees, and to be more aware of the way we treat the world around us – planting trees, recycling, and more.

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Cork Toys

Many of us are aware of the importance of eating healthy

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You have probably heard that cork as a material is very

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Today, cork is no longer used only for wine bottles and

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You have probably heard that cork as a material is very eco-friendly – but why? Obviously, it’s more natural than synthetic materials like plastic, but is there really a difference between a wooden yoga block and a cork yoga block? After all, the cork is made of wood.

But what is amazing about cork is not only the material itself which is natural but also the way the cork is produced. The cork is made from the bark of the cork oak tree (also known as Quercus Suber), and this bark can be harvested again and again without cutting down the tree, so that the same tree produces cork for many years.

So what’s the process?

First of all – it takes about 25 years until the tree is ready for its first harvest. The tree needs to reach a circumference of about 28″ when measuring the part that is at a height of about 5′ from the ground. The first cork harvested from the tree is not the same cork that will come next time. This is called “virgin” cork and its structure is not very uniform. It can be used for certain (mostly decorative) purposes but is less suitable for the manufacture of other products such as cork stoppers.

After the cork is harvested, the bark renews itself and can be harvested again every 9 years, for about 150 years!! While the first cork produced is not uniform enough to be used for the production of all the cork products we are familiar with (and the second harvest is not quite uniform enough either), by the third harvest, the bark is relatively smooth both inside and outside. This is what is needed to make the products we know (and love!).

The process of harvesting the cork is not simple and the expertise of the harvester greatly affects the quality of the cork produced. For example, the larger the piece of bark that is harvested, the more valuable it is. The art of cork harvesting is often passed down from generation to generation, with all the secrets to proper cork peeling and how to maximize the cork harvested from each tree.

After the cork barks have been collected, they “stabilize” for six months, under concrete slabs. At this stage, it is very important to preserve the cork and make sure that it does not come in contact with substances that can be harmful. Therefore, the cork wouldn’t be placed on wooden pallets for example, which may contain parasites that will destroy the cork.

After half a year of stabilization, the cork is boiled in large vats to disinfect them. After the disinfection phase, the cork is classified according to quality, which determines what to do with each piece. For example, you may have noticed that not every wine cork looks the same. Some corks are made of “natural” cork – that is, cork cut from the bark in its natural form into a cork stopper – and some corks are made of agglomerated cork – which is actually cork that has been ground up and put back together in the shape of a cork stopper. This agglomerated cork is also used for bulletin boards we see that are made of granular grains.

The corks (and other products) made from cork granules can be made more easily – you can use smaller or thinner pieces of bark. Therefore, these corks are often cheaper. Its structure is such that it is also more fragile and less durable over time, so we will usually see it as a wine cork for wines intended for relatively quick drinking (within a few years).

This use of cork granules to create products also makes the cork very eco-friendly – pieces that are not the right size or thickness aren’t thrown out but rather used to produce hundreds of products we use every day – billboards, trivets, yoga blocks, stoppers for bottles and jars and more!

Cork is a natural, hypoallergenic, light and insulating material – and now you also know why it is particularly eco-friendly too!

Photo Gallery

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Many of us are aware of the importance of eating healthy

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Where Does Cork Come From?

You have probably heard that cork as a material is very

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Today, cork is no longer used only for wine bottles and

Read more