Approximate number of wine stoppers collected by Re-Cork C’Ville as of June 2024:
3,625,000
All collected corks are sent to CorkClub, an organization that recycles corks to benefit Forest and Ocean Conservation.
About Re-Cork C’Ville
In what began as a simple quest to collect wine corks for a small project, Carpet Plus stumbled across some disturbing information about used corks: of the almost 15 billion (yes, billion!) wine corks that are sold into the world market each year, the majority end up in landfills.
Determined to help decrease this unnecessary waste, Re-Cork C’Ville was born.
Through an organized collection effort, Re-Cork C’Ville hopes to reduce Charlottesville’s carbon footprint through recycling used wine corks from consumers, vineyards, restaurants, and retailers.
What you can do…
This is a simple way for you to do your part to help the environment. Rather than tossing them in the trash, save your natural wine cork stoppers and bring them to any of our drop-box locations listed below. You will have peace of mind knowing that the collected corks will be sent to a recycling facility rather than to the landfill.
Use Natural Cork
Cork harvesting is an environmentally-friendly process during which not a single tree is cut down. The bark renews itself, ready for the next harvesting. The continuation of this process is crucial to the survival of the cork oaks and the ecosystems they support. Therefore, BY USING NATURAL CORK WE ARE PROTECTING THE CORK FORESTS AND THEIR ECOSYSTEMS. Not to mention artificial plastic stoppers and aluminum screw caps consume fossil fuels, and use at least five times more energy per ton to produce. Cork is not only a better closure for wine; it is the only organic, biodegradable and renewable choice. Before you go wine shopping, CLICK HERE to make sure you are buying wine that uses natural cork.
Why cork?
Because it is 100% natural, biodegradable, and renewable, natural cork is a perfect product for recycling. It can be used to make products such as cork flooring, shoe soles, soil conditioner, sports equipment, building insulation, and more.
Natural cork is made up of billions of cells. This gives cork its buoyant, elastic quality as well as the ability to absorb and retain nearly 9 grams of CO2 throughout the life of a wine cork. And with 15 billion corks sold each year worldwide, cork is an important source of CO2 retention.
Myth vs. Fact
Although many believe that the growing use of synthetic corks and screw caps in the wine industry is due to the possible endangerment of the cork forests, that is simply not true. In fact, it is the use of alternative wine closures that is directly affecting the degradation of cork forest ecosystems and the loss of sustainable livelihoods. Here’s why:
Cork harvesting is an environmentally-friendly process during which not a single tree is cut down. The bark is stripped every 9-12 years, after which it renews itself for the next harvesting. Cork oaks can live for up to 300 years! The stripping of the cork oak causes higher absorption of carbon dioxide by the tree which, in turn, serves to protect the diverse ecosystem of the cork oak landscapes.
In areas where cork forests are prevalent (mostly Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and France – approximately 6.6 million acres!), their maintenance is a vital source of income for the residents of those regions. The decreasing use of natural wine stoppers will ultimately have a devastating effect on those regions’ economies.
Why Recycle?
Approximately 70% of bark stripped from the cork oak is used for wine closures. It is critical that the commercial value of cork stoppers be maintained in order to save the ecosystems and economies of the cork oak landscapes. Keeping our corks out of the trash and reusing them is a giant step towards achieving this. Save your corks!
Dropbox Locations
Bring your used *natural* corks to any of the participating locations listed below.
Bang! Restaurant – Downtown
Burton’s Grill – The Shops at Stonefield
Champion Brewing Company – Downtown
Citizen Burger Bar – Downtown Mall
Feast! – Main Street Market
Firefly – Downtown
Harris Teeter – Barracks Road
Harvest Moon Catering – Grady Avenue
Inn at Court Square – Downtown
The Ivy Inn – Old Ivy Road
Jefferson Vineyards – Thomas Jefferson Parkway
Keevil & Keevil Kitchen and Grocery – Belmont
Kroger – Barracks Road
Kroger – Emmet Street
Kroger – Rio Hill
Market Street Wine Shop – Downtown
Mas Tapas – Belmont
Michael Shaps Wineworks – Harris Creek Way
Mona Lisa Pasta – Preston Avenue
Rio Hill Wine and Gourmet – Rio Hill Shopping Center
Sal’s Caffe Italia – Downtown Mall
Shadwell’s Restaurant – Pantops
Southwest Mountains Vineyards – Keswick
Sultan Kebab – Downtown
Tilman’s – Downtown Mall
The Wine Guild of Charlottesville – Downtown
Wine Warehouse – Hydraulic Road
The Virginia Shop – Barracks Road
Vivace – Ivy Road
Wegman’s – Fifth Street Station
Whole Foods – Hydraulic Road
Wine and Design – Downtown
Wineworks Extended – Avon Street Extended
Zocalo – Downtown Mall
Fardowner’s – Downtown Crozet
Harris Teeter – Blue Ridge Shopping Center
The Lodge at Old Trail – Old Trail
Blue Ridge Cafe – Seminole Trail
Interested in participating?
Download our flyer for information on hosting a dropbox.
Still have questions? Send an email to liz@carpetplusonline.com for more info.