APCOR, the Portuguese Cork Association, has today announced the nationwide expansion of The UK Cork Harvest – a cork recycling initiative that launched in London and is now open to independent wine retailers across the UK. The campaign has welcomed the Eden Project as a recycling partner, putting collected corks to work in horticultural research at its Cornwall site.
Since launching in London, nearly 40 independent wine merchants have signed up to host APCOR-branded cork drop off points in-store, as well as some hospitality venues. Participating venues also receive editorial support and social media coverage as part of the programme. A limited number of merchants outside London are now invited to join the next phase of the campaign, with organisers asking corks to be posted to a central drop off point.
Natural cork is one of the most environmentally significant materials in the drinks industry. It is a 100% natural, renewable, reusable and recyclable raw material, extracted from the bark of cork oak trees without ever harming the tree. Cork oaks are harvested by hand every nine years minimum and regenerate naturally, a process unchanged for centuries. The landscape they define, the Mediterranean basin area, is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Natural cork’s unique cellular structure makes it virtually impermeable to liquids and gases, preserving wine in its purest form for decades.
Fulfilling cork’s renewable and reusable characteristics, the UK Cork Harvests now facilitates the process of corks receiving a second life. Early feedback from venues participating in the UK Cork Harvest has been overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting how easy the initiative is to integrate into daily operations and how enthusiastically customers have responded.
The campaign also received a major visibility boost at this year’s London Wine Fair, where the UK Cork Harvest team showcased the now recognisable cork collection bins. The presence at the fair sparked conversations with producers and distributors about the environmental importance of natural cork and the role the retail and hospitality sectors can play in its responsible reuse.
Alexandra Delcampo, marketing executive at Jeroboams, said: “We introduced the cork recycling initiative in-store across all five of our food shops located in Hampstead, Holland Park, Muswell Hill, King’s Road and Wimbledon. The response has been really encouraging. Customers appreciate having a tangible, simple way to contribute, and it has opened up genuinely great conversations in store about sustainability more broadly. Sustainability runs through everything we do at Jeroboams and more than 80 of our 112 producers are certified sustainable, organic or biodynamic, and cork recycling is a natural extension of that same thinking.”
Gosia Weiger, executive director at Dulwich Vinters, said: “At the heart of Dulwich Village, our community values sustainability more every day and it’s great to see more initiatives like this for a public to take part. The cork recycling idea has acted as a brilliant tool for customer engagement, sparking some lively shop-floor discussions about a cork’s lifecycle. The response has been very positive. For us, this initiative perfectly aligns with our mission to reducing waste and protecting the environment, proving that even small choices in our shop can make a collective difference.”
Carlos de Jesus, operational director of the Cork Connect Campaign said: “The initial response to the UK Cork Harvest has been remarkable. Independent merchants are proving how simple, practical actions can drive real sustainability. By giving natural cork a second life, we’re strengthening the link between retailers, consumers, and the environment. This momentum shows what we can achieve when we act together. Partnering with the Eden Project gives the UK Cork Harvest a destination that is meaningful. That connection between the consumer, the retailer and the wider environment is exactly what this campaign is about.”
The full list of retailers taking part in the initiative can be found on the UK Cork Harvest landing page. Registrations outside London are now open.
