ReCORK's carbon-negative status: how we ensure we remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than we add to it.

SOLE first started ReCORK to help the company grow in an environmentally responsible way. We knew our production was going to increase, and we wanted to make sure that our business growth wasn't going to mean a growing negative impact on our planet. Fast forward a decade, and the pressing realities of climate change are more evident than ever. It's easy to feel defeatist in the face of something so much bigger than any individual, or any one business. But at SOLE and ReCORK we believe in the power of positivity and proactive change. We believe that with the right attitude and approach, we as businesses and consumers can make a positive impact on our environment. In everything we do at ReCORK, we consider our carbon footprint. We've done enough to mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions that we can proudly say ReCORK isn't just carbon neutral, we're carbon negative. What does that mean? It means that our operations result in taking more carbon out of the atmosphere than we're putting into it, leaving a net positive impact for the planet and future generations. Why? Because it's the right thing to do.

But how do we achieve carbon-negative status exactly? To start with, we're working with one of the most sustainable materials on earth. Cork is harvested from carbon-trapping cork oak trees in a process that leaves trees standing and actually boosts their CO2 absorption by up to five times (read more about the wonders of cork here). While we deal mainly with the finished product of the cork industry, we're committed to being champions for natural cork in general and supporting cork from the bottom up. That's why we've planted 8,000 cork oak trees to date, and why we'll be planting another 10,000 in 2019. If they're regularly harvested, these trees could be taking carbon from the atmosphere for the next 300 years. Each one of these trees alone could absorb more carbon in its lifetime than we produce in the manufacture of an entire line of ReCORK products.

So how do we keep our greenhouse gas production so low? All of our cork shipping happens through UPS's carbon neutral delivery services to ensure we're not generating carbon as we move used corks from our collections partners to our warehouses and processing facilities. These facilities, in turn, make use of the most eco-friendly power options available in each location, from hydro-powered to nuclear powered facilities with zero CO2 output. In the end, the recycled cork we produce takes the place of high-CO2 producing petroleum-based foams and plastics, reducing reliance on dirty materials to make products that are good for people and planet alike.

All in all, ReCORK's process does its bit to have the right kind of impact on our planet. It's a positive impact we can feel proud of, as it fits our philosophy of living life to the fullest without leaving a footprint.