Cork is originally a tree bark that helps it resist extreme environmental conditions. It is made of dead cells that are filled with a gas similar to air, making it extremely light.
In addition, it is composed of suberin and cerin, that provide very important qualities to this material, such as fire resistance and flexibility.
The natural function of cork is to protect the living parts of the tree that generates it. Its alveolar structure, which prevents air from circulating; its low water content and the lack of conductivity of its compounds make it a material which is mainly used as a thermal insulator.
How is it extracted? Approximately it is harvested when the tree is about 25 years old, implementing an environmentally friendly process, and working from June and August, to avoid the damage to the tree. The fact that cork is a natural material makes it biodegradable, recyclable and reusable.
Is cork pollutant? It does not pollute in terms of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere at the time of its production, but a bad recycling process, such as throwing wine bottle stoppers into the sea, with all that this entails, degrades the marine environment.
What can we do? The right situation is to be able to purchase products that respect the environment, either through sustainable production that has respected the tree and its environment, or by giving it a second life through recycling.
At Parafina, we have chosen the second option and, by combining cork with HDPE, we have created sunglasses that, thanks to their composition, are extremely light and resistant – in addition to being environmentally friendly.
