Recycling Wine Corks in Central Washington

Cork is the Bark of a Tree and can be Recycled

The cork groves in the Mediterranean Basin contain some of the world’s highest levels of forest biodiversity including endemic plants and endangered species such as the Iberian Lynx, the Iberian Imperial Eagle, and the Barbary Deer.

These groves are a vital source of income for thousands of family farmers, who for generations have lived and worked in these forests. The cork groves combat global warming. The cork forests are one of the most sustainable and environmentally harvested forests in the world.

While the use of corks to stop wine bottles is decreasing, other uses for the amazing material are on the rise. Cork is natural, it floats, is renewable, impermeable, lightweight, and antimicrobial. Recycled (or new) Cork can be used for bulletin boards, warm flooring, yoga mats, crafts, and shoes.

Learn more about the importance of recycling corks to save the Cork forests in ReCork’s “Let’s Talk Cork“.

Cork is a CARBON NEGATIVE Material with many post-consumer uses!

According to ReCork, you can take your corks to these Tri-Cities area wineries:

Hamilton Cellars
55410 N. Sunset Road
Benton City, WA, 99320
509 628-8227 – Call first to confirm drop-off hours.

Non-Vintage Wines
1325 Aaron Dr., Suite 102
Richland, WA, 99352
509 420-4717 – Call first to confirm drop-off hours.

Orr you can mail corks to:

Cork Forest Conservation Alliance – Salem, Oregon corkforest.org
CorkClub donates to the efforts for Forest and Ocean Conservation corkclub.com
ReCORK will make your donated corks into shoes. recork.com/us

If you learn of other locations that can recycle corks in Central Washington, please share that information with us so we can add it to the list!

Thanks to the members of the Zonta Club of Yakima Valley who compiled this information for Earth Day Yakima 2024.