Cork shortage

Myth: Cork trees are endangered and therefore we are running out of corks ! This one contains a modicum of truth. In the last decade, the rise of alternative wine closures (screw-caps, synthetic cork ) has created less of a demand for real corks. The cork industry has become endangered because of this, not actual cork trees.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wine about a cork shortage. Contrary to popular belief, there’s more than enough cork available to cap all the wine in the world for another 1years. However, this rumor will continue to spread as more and more companies within the wine industry switch from authentic cork stoppers to synthetic screw caps. In the last ten years, the increase in screw caps has created a decrease in demand for real corks.

Cork trees are now being replaced throughout Portugal by pine nut trees which are economically more productive than cork trees. The day will come when pine nut trees rule and there will in fact be a shortage of cork. Cork has a lot of cool uses such as flooring and different crafts, and while it may have been a problem at one point, the cork industry has taken care of business. No more of this cork shortage nonsense people!

Simply put, it all boils down to money. It’s actually a spin on the fact that because there are alternative closures in the market, there is less demand for natural cork. Farmers not harvesting cork does not equate to a shortage. People in the cork industry confirmed that there are plenty of cork trees and regular planting is ensuring a continuous and stable supply.

Actually there enough cork trees today in the forests of Portugal to last more than 1years. A cork farm owner was interviewed last year about whether there is a global cork shortage , and his answer is there is no truth to that, since harvesting cork , which is from the bark of cork oak, is fully sustainable, and there is no drop in production. And just like that - the misleading “ cork shortage ” rumor was born. A lab has halted its regular production of certain lines to instead turn its attention to making hand sanitiser for the health service, with another Cork company providing the main raw material-alcohol- to do so, free of charge.

Mervue Laboratories in Watergrasshill employs people and usually manufactures nutraceuticals. The good thing is I was told that I get the second one made when they start production. No, there is not a shortage of cork. Cork is a fully sustainable and renewable natural resource, unlike other types of products sourced from trees.

Cork ReHarvest is a 501cnonprofit environmental organization. We represent all the countries of the 6. Mediterranean Basin. Only natural cork bottle stoppers have the ability to be recycle therefore, synthetic stoppers cannot be placed in a collection bin. A common misconception is that people recycle cork stoppers because there is a “shortage” of cork.

When questioned on the issue by Cork TD Pat Buckley (SF), Health Minister Simon Harris said the shortage is not confined to the Irish market. The company is changing its manufacturing site and this has resulted in the shortage,” he explained. The report in Saturday’s Irish Examiner that just two gardaí were available to police Cork City is shocking, and will be music to the ears of criminals seeking to exploit the stretched nature of An. Cork , - The industrial dispute that has crippled the bakery trade in Cork shows little sign of stopping. Homelessness is up sharply, while homeownership has fallen.

It is the cork industry which makes the continuity of the cork oak forest viable, by contributing to the maintenance of forests and the populations that depend on them. But the global supply of cork , a $billion industry, has faced problems with quality and competition. The bark can be harvested without harming the tree and will regrow naturally over time. These trees are widely found in countries like Spain and Portugal, so there’s no shortage of supply when it comes to choosing cork for your underlayment.

Essentially, cork is one of the top “green” options when it comes to flooring products.