S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
CORK RECYCLING MAJESTIC
Majestic launches UK’s first cork recycling scheme
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The recycled corks will eventually be sent to The Eden Project, Cornwall.
ajestic, a specialist wine retailer, has unveiled details of a nationwide cork recycling scheme in more than 200 of its stores. The retailer will place collection hubs in all its stores and, working with the Portuguese Cork Association, aims to recycle more than one million corks per year – equating to over 309 tonnes of CO2.The corks will eventually be sent to The Eden Project, Cornwall, which will be trialling the cork as a mulch around Mediterranean plants. A study by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that corks are by far the most environmentally-friendly form of wine closure – more than 20 times more so
than screw caps. However, until now nationwide cork recycling has not been available in the UK – unlike in other parts of the world.
Majestic boss John Colley said: “As a national retailer, we’re always looking at ways we can pull our weight in the climate crisis. Cork represents a perfectly circular, environmentally friendly industry from cork oak to bottle – with just one final missing component: what happens after the wine has been drunk. “By working with the Cork Association, we’re squaring the circle by giving our customers and stores the opportunity to continue a natural cork’s journey at The Eden Project. I’m sure not only will this give our customers another reason to enjoy a great bottle of wine, but also another reason to visit us in-store – with their pockets brimming with corks.”
Wilko extends in-s Homeware chain Wilko is extending its scheme to recycle single-use face masks after a successful first few months. The Wilko #ReclaimTheMask scheme, which launched in April and has 150 participating stores across
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the country, is being extended until the end of September. Shoppers can drop off their used single-use masks in dedicated collection boxes which, once full, get sent to recyclers, ReWorked. The PPE waste is quarantined for 72
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