5 Ways to Reuse Your Wine Corks

At eco18 we are always encouraging people to do a little bit each day to help make the earth a better and healthier place. One way to do that is to me mindful of what we’re consuming and wasting on a daily basis, and to reduce, reuse and recycle whenever possible. One simple way is to reuse wine corks. According to one set of statistics, the average American drinks 15.5 bottles of wine per year, give or take a few bottles. Some people may just throw away the wine cork without a second thought, but not us! We’ve found some eco-friendly ideas for ways to reuse corks that are practical, simple to pull off and money savers.

1.     Cork Board: The classic cork board, why buy one when you can make one with materials you already have? Take an old picture frame, remove the glass and fill it with corks. Once you figure out the placing for the corks, simply hot glue them in place.

2.     Trivet: Cork is naturally heat resistant which is perfect for handling hot pots and pans. Simply arrange your corks into any shape or size you desire, use a hot glue gun to glue them together and you’ve got yourself a trivet for serving hot food.

3.     Garden Labels: Stick a wooden skewer into the end of a wine cork and then use a permanent marker to label your herbs and plants with. You’ll be surprised how well the corks hold up in all types of weather.

4.     Place Card Holders: Wine corks make great place card holders for parties and guests will love them! Cut the wine corks in half then with a razor, carefully cut a small slit at the top where you can place the name card.

5.     Packing Protection: Instead of using Styrofoam packing bubbles, use extra wine corks you have lying around the house. They are light weight and will easily protect fragile belongings.

If you aren’t feeling crafty and just want to get rid of the corks, you can always just recycle them. Corks are naturally renewable and biodegradable. There are some great organizations that are on a mission to recycle cork, such as Cork ReHarvest and ReCork. Both organizations have numerous places throughout the U.S. where people can drop off their corks which will then be recycled and turned into new products. You can check online for Cork ReHarvet and ReCork drop off locations.

How do you reuse and recycle your wine corks? We’ve love to hear, share with us in the box below!