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Environmentally Friendly Cork
Cork is one of the few forms of flooring, which is completely environmentally friendly.
In addition, cork comes from a recyclable and completely renewable resource, which
is also biodegradable and does not producing any toxic residues. Countries such as Australia, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada recycle old
and used corks. However, these reusable natural product are never again used as
a wine stopper, instead, they are made into other produces such as memo boards,
placemats, coasters, floor tiles, gaskets, isolation material, etc. Once the recycled corks are at the recycling plants, all foreign material including
plastic and metal caps and champagne wire tops are removed from the cork. If these
materials are not removed, they could seriously damage the equipment. Next, the
corks are grind into tiny particles no larger than 3 mm in size. The particles
are bounded with resins then under pressure and heat are molded to obtain the desired
shape and density to form floor tiles and planks. When used as flooring, cork naturally
dampens sound by absorbing and limiting the transfer of sound waves. In addition,
cork is a far better surface to walk on, as it is comprised of millions of tiny
air pockets, which act as tiny shock absorbers. Every 9 to 10 years, cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree. The
bark is peeled from the tree without harming the tree. In fact, some feel that
harvesting the bark is actually beneficial for the tree. The cork oak tree lives
an average of 100 plus years and grows in Portugal and Spain. Harvesting cork does
not in anyway contributing to the deforestation of our planet. In fact, cork is
a green-building product.
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