What is cork “leather”?
Cork leather comes from the bark of the cork oak tree , which is a sustainable forestry practice for the planet. Harvesting cork helps the cork oak regenerate and extends its lifespan in the long term, so harvesting does not harm the tree in any way.
This vegetable leather is natural and sustainable, cork leather has all the benefits of animal leather without cruelty and without the pollution it causes.
Cork grows in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. Cork forests absorb thousands of tons of CO2, and the roots of its trees provide nutrients to the soil. The trees themselves produce oxygen while sheltering plant and animal species. Cork forests therefore contribute to the natural beauty and purity of the Mediterranean.
The production method of cork leather.
Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree, which can be extracted without harming or cutting the tree; it is harvested by hand.
The bark, which grows slowly over the years, is extracted for the first time after 25 years, with subsequent harvests every 9 years. This allows the tree to regenerate throughout its life, on average 170 years.
Cork produces no waste during its extraction, processing, or production. It also does not pollute water or air, and its production does not involve a tanning process.
In fact, the cork is simply boiled in water, flattened, and molded into cork sheets to make them suitable for processing into cork leather. The cork is then laminated, shaped into sheets as thin as paper. It is then dyed with vegetable or mineral dyes.
Its characteristics
It is a durable material that allows for many years of use . Soft to the touch with a smooth and shiny finish. Cork leather improves with age; the more it is worn, the more supple the vegetable leather becomes without losing its physical properties. This makes it suitable for making handbags, wallets and even jewelry.
Cork has innate and unique characteristics : strong and light, thermal and acoustic insulator, impermeable to liquids, elastic and compressible, fire resistant and hypoallergenic.
But above all, cork is a 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable material . This makes cork an exceptional material.
Environmental benefits of using natural cork
Cork oak (Quercus suber) is one of the species that absorbs the most CO2 through photosynthesis . For every kg of cork, 50 kilograms of CO2 are absorbed and thus removed from the atmosphere, essential in the fight against climate change .
Once mature, the cork oak is the center of life in the forest: it provides shelter for a wide variety of animals, conserves soil moisture, and its roots play a role in preventing erosion.
Cork leather goods help serve and enhance the positive impact on the planet and in your life. This choice is environmentally friendly.
