why cork?

We chose cork leather for its unique aesthetic and functional properties:

• soft

• strong, durable, scratch resistant.

• light

• antibacterial

• Water, fire, odour and dust repellent.

 

While leather has good functional properties, it comes with the obvious attachment to animal slaughter and also involves the not so obvious use of highly hazardous chemicals that are harming the planet and often harming the people and communities that are involved in this process.

There are a lot of plastic based faux leathers out there that are low cost, have great functional properties and are animal free, but their production also often involves the use of hazardous chemicals that are harmful to the planet.

 

As well as a long list of functional properties, cork material has an even longer list of ethical properties:

 

• 100% Natural

• Chemical free

• Incredibly low ecological footprint

• Recyclable

• Biodegradable

• Vegan

• Fights global warming

• Protects endangered species

 

Cork is harvested by shaving off the bark of a Cork Oak tree, the tree is then left to re-grow this cork layer to be harvested again.

This means no trees are being cut down, so the area is a complete oasis for the wildlife and is great for supporting endangered species.

 

In addition Cork Oak trees absorb up to 5 times more carbon dioxide than other trees when re-growing their bark, so are an amazing asset in fighting global warming.