Cork another super versatile and sustainable material.

Once better known as a lowly bottle stopper or bulletin board, cork has become an in-demand design material. Today cork is being used for a multitude of interior building applications. Not only has this sustainable product become a multi-tasker, and problem-solving superstar but even more importantly it is sustainable. Nothing goes to waste as you will learn below and its organic aesthetic is sought out for interior design pallets.

• Cork is bark harvested from a tree from the Oak family (Quercus suber) that is native to Southwest Europe and Northwest Africa. Do note the Oak Tree family is well known for one of the very longest life spans in forest canopy trees. It is the very outer edge of the tree’s bark, the phellem layer. The harvester term for the staff is ”Corkers”.

• Cork is buoyant, nearly impermeable, elastic, and overall a highly unique plant tissue. Literally a beehive of cells surrounded by air. The elasticity allows it to form a seal in a wine bottle, to be rolled into thin sheets for wallpaper to handbags.

• Uncorking or harvesting cork does not harm the tree provided it is only done once every 9 years, during this time the tree rebuilds a new layer of bark for the next harvest. Hence a sustainable material.

• it is 100% reusable and after making the first run of a product all leftovers are ground up and into small particles for shoe soles, coating for floor panels, insulation, and more.

• Hypoallergenic purposes. Cork is good for wall and floor coverings as it will not absorb dust particles
  

  Interior uses of cork

• Wall tiles and panels mimic brick and stone.

• underlayment for flooring for acoustical and softening underfoot

• insulation used for temperature and sound.

• flooring for wet areas like bathrooms

• printed or bare it can be rolled out into wallpaper, to purses can come in multitudes of colors, prints, and textures.

• industrial uses for gaskets, electrical, and automotive parts.

Evolution of cork in materials & products

Cork has been used for thousands of years. In ancient tombs cork was found all the way back to ancient Egypt, The Greeks and Romans both used cork as floats for fishing nets and footwear. ( Birkenstocks before their time.) Villagers used it inside their homes for insulation and flooring and they also liked Cork because it is bug resistant.

In 1688, Pierre Perignon sealed bottles of his creation, champagne, with his added wire cages on top. Nearly 200 years later the inside of the crimped metal bottle caps lid was lined with cork. The mass production of these simple caps made William Painter, the inventor, very wealthy.

A German company, in 1890, combined waste cork with a binding agent so that it could be rolled into sheets to be cut into whatever shape desired. This is called agglomerated or compound cork. The uses for scrap cork expanded greatly. Later John Smith discovered that with heat and intense pressure occurring resins were released to create a conglomerate of cork particles that didn’t need any binder. Charles McManus found a method of producing agglomerated cork that could be less expensively used to line bottle caps. Cork continues to find new methods to repurpose waste cork.

Conclusion

With the multitude of uses for this material such as sound-absorbing, cushioning, water sealing, and water repellant, it is no wonder why it is so useful. II there is any need for more positives, add in the sustainability factor of zero waste in production. I can not list too many materials that score this high on the green scorecard.

With In Green Living, Joni Keefe shares nature-based designs for housing, urban living, and interiors. Her interests follow sustainable agriculture, eco-friendly buildings, and the latest conversations in Biophilic design. She is a published writer with horticultural design work featured in national publications. This Journal explores these topics and promotes eco-minded business.