Research underscores cork closures’ role in advancing wine industry’s commitment to sustainability

Napa, CA (September 9, 2020)—Corticeira Amorim has announced the results of new 2020 studies measuring the carbon footprint of wine, sparkling and spirits stoppers, putting the world’s leading cork manufacturer ahead of its competitors in terms of the breadth and depth of research around the positive environmental impact of Amorim products.

The latest studies assess the CO2 retention rates of TwinTop Evo, Advantec, Agglomerate Sparkling, and Top Series stoppers, following Amorim’s cradle-to-gate methodology that measures everything from forest floor to finished stopper. As seen in previous studies on other Amorim closures, the results confirm a uniquely positive environmental performance with stoppers capturing up to 540 grams of CO2—as in the case of Agglomerate Sparkling.

The results follow previous research conducted in 2018 on Neutrocork (conducted by PwC) and in 2019 on natural cork and sparkling cork stoppers, which revealed a single natural cork stopper to retain 309 grams of CO2, a Neutrocork cork to retain 392 grams CO2, and a sparkling wine stopper to retain even more at 562 grams. This study was conducted by EY consultants, who also audited the 2020 studies. To date, Corticeira Amorim has commissioned a total of ten studies surrounding the CO2 footprints and CO2 balance, considering the forest retention, of their stoppers.

“These new reports put Amorim miles ahead of any competitor in terms of the depth, breadth and credibility of the research published on the environmental and CO2 performance of wine, sparkling and spirits stoppers,” says Pedro Fernandes of Amorim Cork America. “It is crucial that we take full advantage of such data to further our understanding about how cork can aid the wine industry’s quest for sustainability.

In the analyses of all ten studies, total carbon retention considers carbon stored in the final product as well as the potential carbon sequestration at the forest stage. All studies were based on the ISO 14040/44 standards (ISO, 2006), together with guidelines from the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook—General guide for Life Cycle Assessment—Detailed guidance (EC-JRC, 2010).

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For further information, please contact Katie Canfield of O’Donnell Lane at 530-720-1138 or katie@odonnell-lane.com.

About Corticeira Amorim
Corticeira Amorim is the leading world producer of cork products, having been involved in the sector since 1870. The company’s product portfolio covers various sectors, including, among others, wine, construction, flooring, aeronautics, automotive and footwear. It has implemented an integrated production process that ensures that no cork is wasted, and it supports various initiatives for collecting and recycling cork stoppers across five continents.

About Amorim Cork America
Amorim Cork America is the North American sales and distribution center located in Napa, California. We provide top notch solutions that guarantee a customized approach tailored to each client’s needs. Amorim Cork America’s sales and management team provides expert knowledge to winemakers, technical support, quality assurance managers and wine marketers in all facets of wine cork closures.

Media Contact:
Katie Canfield, O’Donnell Lane
katie@odonnell-lane.com
+1 530-720-1138

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