Cork flooring 'a great green product'

A conservationist has hailed the potential of cork flooring as a way of recycling the material and ensuring the substance is kept popular for a variety of uses.

Director of recycling firm Cork Reharvest Patrick Spencer explained to Mongabay.com that cork floor tiles are one of the ways in which the material can be recycled after use as a wine bottle stop.

He stated that it is important to keep the cork industry going as it employs 100,000 people around the Mediterranean, produces a bottle top that can be recycled unlike aluminium caps and comes from a sustainable material.

Mr Spencer explained: "First and foremost, the trees are not cut down; the outer bark is harvested, by hand, every nine years. This allows the tree to consume ten tons more carbon dioxide."

He added that the trees can live for up to 300 years.


Annarbor.com recently quoted Jere L'Heureux of flooring firm Contract Options as stating that the sustainability of cork makes it one of the greenest flooring options.

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