Cork flooring replication attempted by students

A student-led company is seeking to create a biodegradable material that acts in the same way as cork flooring, it has been revealed.

US-based firm Glytrix is creating the material out of the waste and by-products of ethanol, Indystar.com reports.

The firm is developing a range of uses for the recycling technology and picked up the top prize at Purdue University's Burton D Morgan Business Plan Competition for a product that minimises tissue scarring.

By developing the flooring product, the company may help to add to the choice eco-aware consumers have when it comes to choosing a floor.

Those who choose real cork can also be green as it is a renewable material - being bark rather than timber - and can also be made from recycled bottle stoppers.

Earlier this month, the Telegraph reported on one such scheme in Montana, US, where PR company Cork Tree Creative has teamed up with recycling company Yemm & Hart to recycle wine corks into new products, including floor tiles.

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