At the end of 2011, the cork oak was unanimously established as Portugal's National Tree. This classification is directly related to the economic, social and environmental performance that it represents to the country. Around 23% of Portugal's forest area is made up of cork oaks, which support the country's main indust…

100 percent natural, reusable and recyclable, cork is, whether from the environmental, social or economic perspectives, one of the world’s most versatile materials. It takes each cork oak 25 years before it can be stripped for the first time and it is only from the third stripping (at 43 years of age) that the cork, th…

Explore all the facts and cusiosities about cork and the importance of the oak tree and its forests.

Equally surprising is the fact that the cork oak increases its ability to absorb these gases during the natural regeneration process following stripping. The more it is harvested, the more the cork tree protects the environment.

Cork is the outer bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber L.) This tree is found in the Western Mediterranean Basin, where the type of soil, climate, temperature and altitude offers the ideal growing conditions to prosper. The cork oak tree thoroughly develops its bark over the years. The cork is harvested by sp…

Cork is the bark of the Cork Oak tree (Quercus suber L). It is a completely natural raw material, with unique properties which give it an unrivalled character. It is light, impermeable to liquids and gases, elastic and compressible, provides thermal and acoustic insulation, it is a fire retardant and highly abrasion-re…

Cork is a natural, 100% biodegradable, recyclable, renewable raw material obtained from the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber L.). This oak species whose bark (cork) regenerates itself is mainly found in Southern Mediterranean countries and North Africa, and has an average lifetime of 200 years. Portugal is the leading cork…

Following use of cork as a sealant, from the 18th century onwards, the cork oak forest became an important economic asset. More than 100,000 people in Southern Europe and North Africa depend directly and indirectly on these forests. These natural spaces are a perfect example of the balance between preserving the enviro…