Plastic Cork Recycling

With the focus on recycling spreading to many different products, wine corks have fallen under consideration. While synthetic or plastic corks are recyclable, they are not organic, and thus must be lumped into the category of other recycled plastics.

Identification

• For centuries, the traditional sealing method for stopping wine bottles has been natural cork. Due to the danger of expending this precious resource, other synthetic options have been introduced into the industry. One of the most prominent examples is the plastic cork.

Recycling

• Unlike natural cork, plastic wine corks are not a biodegradable material. While they are recyclable, they end up going through the same processes as other plastic items. This means that they are typically bound for incineration. One way to reuse the plastic cork in your home may be to create a message board, a craft often created with natural cork as well.

Considerations

• If you recycle genuine cork it eases the stresses on cork forests around the world, particularly in Spain and Portugal. Some companies even offer incentives for their patrons to send used corks back to their facilities for this purpose. You may therefore want to avoid getting bottles stopped with plastic in favor of recycling actual cork if these issues are of importance to you.