Cork Recycling

Wondering what to do with all of your corks? USEE Institutional Member Momentum Recycling sent out this message a few weeks ago:

Organic grocer Whole Foods Markets has expanded its wine cork recycling program to all of its 292 locations in North America and the U.K. The grocer is working in partnership with Cork ReHarvest, a Salem, Oregon-based cork recycling organization started in 2008.

"Thirteen billion wine corks are produced each year," said Patrick Spencer, director of Cork ReHarvest, in the press release announcing the expansion. "Eight billion of those corks come to the U.S., and 99 percent of them end up in landfills."

The recovered corks will end up in different locations around the U.S., all piggybacking on trucks already en route to each destination, according to the company. West of the Rockies, corks will be processed by Corvallis, Oregon-based Western Pulp into recyclable wine shippers containing 10-percent cork. Corks from the Midwest will be made into cork floor tiles by Yemm & Hart of Marquand, Missouri. For both the East Coast and the U.K., corks will be sent to Jelinek Cork Group and made into various post-consumer cork products.

So save up your corks and recycle them!