Cork for Eco Branded Merchandise
17 February 2026
Cork is one of the most sustainable materials
Cork is a versatile material with a wide range of applications from the corks in your wine bottles to flooring panels. It is also widely used in promotional merchandise as the cover of notebooks, the barrel of a pen or the sleeve of a coffee cup.
How is cork used for promotional products?
For the covers of notebooks as an alternative PET and PU plastics such as the Napa cork covered notebook
https://www.pavilionearth.co.uk/eco-desk-promo-products/napa-cork-cover-notebook
It can be used as an alternative to plastic on the barrel of a pen both in combination with metal and wheat straw.
https://www.pavilionearth.co.uk/eco-desk-promo-products/midar-corn-and-wheat-straw-pen
https://www.pavilionearth.co.uk/eco-desk-promo-products/metal-and-cork-pen-set
The thermal insulation properties of cork can be used on coffee cups as a holder
https://www.pavilionearth.co.uk/drinkware/cork-and-bamboo-coffee-cup
and of course, cork can be used as a natural yoga mat instead of synthetic rubber.
How is cork harvested?
A specially designed axe with a wedge-shaped handle is used to pry each cork panel from the tree. These axes are incredibly sharp and slice through the outer layer of bark without damaging the actual trunk of the tree. The harvesters then cut horizontal slices across the base of the trunk of the tree, and at the top, just below the lowest branches.
And it does not harm the tree?
With the amount of bark that is removed during harvesting, the cork oak is the only tree that could survive the process.
A cork tree must grow for 25 years before it can be stripped for the first time. Cork trees are only harvested during the summer, between May and August. This is when the tree is going through its most active growth phase which makes the bark much easier to strip without damaging the trunk of the cork tree. After the initial period of 25 years, a cork tree can be stripped and harvested every 9 years. This can continue during the cork trees entire 200-300-year average lifetime. This means a cork tree can be stripped and harvested many times during its life.
It is only after the third harvest of cork, which is known as Amadia, that the cork takes on the high standard that is required for producing cork stoppers. The first two harvests are used to make flooring, insulation and other cork products.
How is cork processed?
After harvesting, the planks are allowed to cure outside for up to six months. A combination of fresh air, sun, wind and rain causes various chemical changes that improve the quality of the cork. The curing process also changes the cork planks, causing them to flatten out as they lose around 20% of their original moisture.
The planks are then steamed in boilers to eliminate any contaminants and separate the outer layer of bark. The cork is finally placed in dark cellars and allowed to cure for a further 3 weeks under carefully regulated temperatures and humidity.
Is Cork Sustainable?
Cork is :
100% naturalBiodegradableRenewableAnd can be recycled
Cork harvesting neither cuts down or harms the cork tree itself, meaning it continues living and is incredibly eco-friendly. And, cork tree farming actually helps clean the air and undo the damage caused by greenhouse gases. Cork harvesting is a truly green process and should be fully supported.
Cork can also be recycled and re-used during the manufacturing process. As already mentioned, all of the material that is taken from the cork tree is used and there is virtually no waste. As well as the largest exporter, Portugal is actually the world’s 4th largest importer of cork, which is then processed, recycled and re-made into new cork products that are then subsequently exported to other countries.
Cork is a fully sustainable and environmentally friendly resource, thanks to the unique nature of its gathering. In fact, cork is one of the greenest alternatives out there and is 100% natural, renewable and recyclable.
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SUMMARY: Comparing eco promotional products is difficult because of the range of materials used Carbon footprint is a measure which allows comparison Need to look at CO2 equivalent because of the use of organic solvents in promotional merchandise There is a difference between Cradle to Gate and Cradle to Grave in the measurement, because we never know whether the end user will attempt to recycle products  Pavilion is a specialist in providing branded promotional products, which are sustainable. The most common question we're asked, of course, is what's the most sustainable branded product? And how would you measure that? And that's a difficult question and often comes with hesitations. Why? This blog aims to try and explain eco credentials, particularly for promotional merchandise and how you might compare them. The first problem you have, is that you're comparing different materials. This is why it's difficult is because there's no true standard of sustainability. There is no international marking that says, this one's a 10, and this one's a 1. The nearest you have is carbon footprint. Carbon footprint generally means the amount of carbon dioxide measured in kilos, but you have to be a bit careful with that, particularly for promotional merchandise because carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas. You may be fully aware that methane, natural gas has a global warming effect 50 to 60 times more than CO2. So, you don't need to measure just CO2, you've really have to look at a CO2 equivalent. In other words, converting the methane. And why do I mention that? Promotional merchandise is often printed and unless you are using water based inks, there will be solvents, and therefore, CO2 equivalent is what you need to measure. The next problem that you've have is what are you measuring the carbon footprint of? Are we talking what's termed - Cradle to Grave or Cradle to Gate? The concept is explained in the diagram.
The factors affecting the price of branded promotional merchandise
Is there a standard for 'sustainability' and 'eco friendly' within the promotional merchandise buinsess
