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CORK
Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree; it is a completely natural raw material. It is a sustainable and renewable resource
because the cork tree is not cut down, only the bark is stripped to harvest the cork, after which the tree immediately
begins to grow new bark. Once the cork oak tree is about 25 years old the cork can be stripped from the trunk every
nine years. The trees live for about 200-300 years. Furthermore, it is completely biodegradable and recyclable.
Cork is lightweight, impermeable to liquids and gases, elastic and compressible, provides thermal and acoustic
insulation. Because of these characteristics, it is used in a variety of products. When the harvested bark is of high
quality it is known as "gentle" cork, and it is used to make stoppers for wine and champagne bottles. However, the
first harvest called "virgin" cork usually produces lower quality material. These sheets of cork – along with the used
stoppers that are collected – are ground up and manufactured into new cork products like flooring, shoes, cork
boards, insulation and other products.
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