Natural cork stoppers can offset CO2 emissions produced by glass manufacture

Natural cork closures are able to offset the CO2 emissions from glass bottle manufacture, according to a new study.  

A single natural cork stopper can capture up to 309 grammes of CO2, while a sparkling wine stopper can retain even more, at 562 grammes according to the research commissioned by Corticeira Amorin and conducted by EY Consultants.  

“This vital CO2 retention capability comes at no extra cost – it is embedded in the very nature of cork, and is a benefit to which every winery is entitled,” claims a spokesperson from Amorin. “Given the fact that more than 70% of the value created by cork overall comes from wine stoppers, without these products, the 2.2 million hectares of native cork forests across seven countries in the Western Mediterranean basin – one of the world’s 35 biodiversity ‘hot spots’ - would not exist as we know them now.”  

 Different life cycle stages under a cradle-to-gate approach were studied. These included forest management activities, cork treatment stages including transport from the forest, and natural cork stoppers production, finishing & packaging. For a fair comparison with previous studies, the distribution of the product from Portugal to the UK was also included, together with additional information regarding carbon sequestration from the cork oak forests.