Portugal is responsible for producing around 70% of the world’s cork and behind the supply of cork stoppers, cork insulation and other cork products is a unique environmental story. The cork oak tree can live for up to 200 years and cork is produced by stripping the bark from the tree, which then regenerates to be stripped again around 9 years later. So cork is one of the most environmentally sustainable products that the planet produces and furthermore the cork forests are unique eco-systems that provide a habitat for wildlife and a living for those who work there.
Here is a video made by the cork supplier association, APCOR to wax lyrical about cork in general, but particular the cork forests.
