It’s plastic free July, and we are back with another alternative today to talk about how you can get creative with cork. Cork is a fantastic alternative to plastic, but why is this?
What is cork?
Cork is a versatile, natural material that forms from trees, specifically the outer bark of a cork oak. Cork oak forests are regularly found in the Mediterranean. Cork consists of a honeycomb of microscopic cells filled with air like gas which means it has multiple attributes.
Cork is a fully environmentally friendly solution. If truth be told, cork is one of the most sustainable alternatives in the world and is 100 per cent recyclable and renewable.
Why is cork better than plastic?
Here are some listed benefits as to why Cork is a great alternative:
- Cork is water resistant
Cork may look spongey on the outside, but cork is actually waterproof. Cork contains millions of cells which may be mistaken as absorbent fabric, but these cells also hold a fatty substance called suberin, which means that almost no water retention is made within it’s cell walls.
- Cork is very diverse
Cork is a very raw, versatile material which can generate several products in a variety of colours, sizes and styles. Since cork is grown in a natural environment, all pieces are going to be different.
- Cork is durable and strong
Cork is used frequently as household material such as tableware and flooring. This is due to the resistance and strength of the material. Cork is estimated to live for up to 30 years if looked after.
- Cork is a very sustainable material
Cork is collected from the bark of cork oak trees, which shows that people can still make use of their products and industrialization without chopping down the trees. No waste is left over when manufacturing, and any spare material is reused and bound together.
How businesses can replace plastic with cork
There are multiple solutions for businesses to reduce the use of plastic by introducing a replacement. Examples of alternative products are:
- Cork lanyards
- Cork laptop bags
- Cork pens
- Cork umberellas
- Glass bottles with cork sleeves
- Metal bottles with cork detail
- Cork notepads
- Cork shopper bags
- Cork lid sports bottles
- Cork sticky note memo pads.
To make your work environment a more eco – friendly place to be and to get creative with cork, please send us an email at hello@cubiquitymedia.com and we’d be happy to help! All products are shown below.
