Cork
is the bark of the cork oak tree (Querus Suber) which grows in the
western Mediterranean. The cork bark is formed from layers of extremely
strong flexible cell walls that are waterproof and airtight. The cork
tree produces this bark to provide protection from droughts, fires,
temperature fluctuations and other damaging environmental conditions.
This tree has a life span of 200 - 500 years. The first stripping takes
place when the tree is 25 years old, thereafter, stripping is repeated
every nine years. At no time during the life or the tree is more that
50% of the bark removed. Harvesting of cork is not harmful to the tree.
During the cork manufacturing process, all material is either used for
a finished product, or used to generate energy used in the fabricating
process. Very little, if any material is wasted. This makes cork one of
the mostenvironmentally sensitive products available.
This
unique natural raw material with its lightweight, flexible honeycomb
structure, is impermeable to liquids and gas, which makes it an ideal
material for a myriad of household products. The properties of cork are
derived naturally from the structure and chemical composition of the
inner cells. Each cubic centimeter of cork contains between 30 and 40
million cells. It is this exceptional cellular structure that gives
cork its essential characteristics. |