Circular Economy & Materials
Cork
The renewable bark of the cork oak, harvested every nine to twelve years without felling the tree, from Mediterranean montado and dehesa landscapes.
Expert review openNo editor-accepted expert review yetDefinition
Cork is the outer bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber), composed largely of suberin, which can be stripped every nine to twelve years without harming the tree. A tree must be at least 25 years old before first harvest, only the third harvest yields stopper-quality material, and a tree can remain productive for around 200 years. Western Mediterranean production is roughly 300,000 tonnes per year, with Portugal supplying about 60 per cent; cork oak landscapes are protected under the EU Habitats Directive.
References
harvest cycle, production volumes, Habitats Directive listing
suberin composition and harvest season
Overview
What it means
A rare example of a commercial material whose harvest directly sustains a biodiverse, carbon-storing ecosystem.
How it is used
Beyond stoppers, cork is used in insulation, flooring and composites; its sustainability case rests on renewability, recyclability and the ecosystem services of cork oak landscapes.
Why it matters
Cork links a global commodity to habitat conservation and rural livelihoods, illustrating how material demand can maintain — not degrade — ecosystems.
Review
Public comments appear only after editor acceptance. Draft comments stay in the review queue.
Reviewers choose the definition or an overview paragraph, leave a comment or replacement, and attach evidence or a source link.
Editors compare reviewer cards side by side. AI may help find agreement, conflicts, unsupported claims and possible source issues.
Only an editor-accepted synthesis changes the public page. Reviewer identities are shown only with consent and verification.
Submitted reviews stay private until accepted.
Loading verified endorsements… Endorsements are not votes and never determine publication.
Endorse this definition
Endorse the exact version shown here. This is not a vote, and publication remains an editorial decision.
Review board
Comment on a specific line. Each reviewer stays separate until an editor accepts a merged draft.
Each person comments on the definition or overview in their own draft card, with role, evidence and suggested wording kept together.
AI can compare comments against the current text, flag conflicting claims, surface missing evidence and identify where reviewers agree.
An editor merges compatible suggestions into a draft change, checks sources, records disagreements and decides what can be published.