The circular economy is growing from the ground up, and it starts with recognizing that the materials used to make products can be recovered, reused, resold and recycled to lower the cost of raw materials. Mike Baker saw an opportunity to recycle cork for use in his company’s custom insoles and shoes. bottom pieceProduced and released ReCORK Collection Network More than 15 years ago. Since its founding in 2008 as the second venture of custom orthopedic insole company SOLE, ReCORK has recycled an incredible 132 million wine corks and planted over 8,000 cork trees. These milestones are part of SOLE’s broader mission to reduce its environmental impact and promote sustainable practices. ReCORK recently contributed to an Earth911 article, Recycling Cork to Replace Petroleum-Based Polymers and Foams, which explains the program.
We often hear that one side of the equation, manufacturers and consumers, must take full responsibility for recycling. If the first step of putting materials back into the system for recycling doesn’t happen at home or in the office, then this partnership can’t be successful. ReCORK has found a way to make that first step easier for consumers and businesses by installing collection bins in bars, liquor stores and consumers. Mike explains that after collection, careful material management must follow, including designing them to be easily broken down for processing into reusable raw materials for the next round of products. And it’s essential that the story of the journey of a cork, PC or aluminium can is shared transparently with the public so that people know they can recycle with confidence. It takes time and time is always short, so it’s important to let everyone involved in the circular economy know that the effort has been worth it. You can find out more about ReCORK at https://recork.com/Visit us to check out our SOLE. https://yoursole.com/
Then take some time to learn more about sustainable fashion and footwear.
