Why are cork trees endangered?

We all know that satisfying pop when we open a bottle of wine or champagne signaling the start of a festive occasion. But more and more cork is being replaced with plastic stoppers or twist tops. read more

Contrary to what you might think, cork trees are not endangered because of their use in the wine industry, but their underuse is what may cause them to become endangered. The bark of the cork tree is stripped to make the wine stoppers. This process does not hurt the tree, and the bark will regrow in about nine years. read more

"Cork extraction is one of the most environmentally-friendly harvesting processes in the world - not a single tree is cut down to get the cork. This tradition can survive, as long as demand for cork stays high, if not, the cork forests will disappear - and with them, a unique cultural and natural heritage", said Pedro Regato, WWF Mediterranean Head of Forest unit. read more