100% Recyclable Unlike wood used for décor and renovation projects, cork harvesting does not harm or kill the cork oak tree. The cork oak’s bark is stripped after it turns 25 and then every nine years. All the byproducts of cork creations are 100% recyclable and repurposed for other uses.

Preventing erosion In order to endure scorching Mediterranean summers, the cork oak trees use their evergreen leaves to reduce water losses and extend their roots deep into the soil preventing erosion, one of the leading causes of desertification.

Fights greenhouse gases We need the cork forests to fight greenhouse gases. Less than 3.7 acres of cork oak is required to offset the annual CO2 emissions of an average vehicle and there’s over 1.8 million acres of cork oak in Portugal.

Circle of life In one giant, sweltering circle of life, Portugal’s creatures and plant life nurture and sustain one another as humans carefully and respectfully harvest only what they need from the precious cork oak trees.

Natural habitat With 32% of the world’s total area of cork forests in Portugal, it’s comparable to Brazil’s treasured rainforests, and must be kept safe from human development. Flourishing over centuries, the cork oak forests have become home to a plethora of wildlife, plants and endangered species.