Amorim and Auchan unite to recycle cork stoppers

Cork producer Amorim and French hypermarket chain Auchan have joined forces to launch a major recycling campaign for cork stoppers – the largest of its type.

All 641 Auchan retail outlets in France will be offering cork collection points during the retail chain’s Autumn Wine Fair

Announced last week, all 641 Auchan retail outlets in France will be offering cork collection points during the retail chain’s Autumn Wine Fair, which runs from 21 September to 9 October this year.

Customers are advised to keep all used stoppers over the summer and bring them to the stores during the wine fair, so they can be recycled, with the proceeds going to charity.

The corks will be returned to Amorim through its EcoBouchon program, which is responsible for cork recovery and recycling in France, and sees the used stoppers converted into other products, from the soles of shoes to insulation and flooring.

Furthermore, Amorim and Auchan Retail France pledge to pay back profits of about €300 per tonne of corks (representing about 250,000 corks) collected to a charity.

Since its creation in 2010, Amorim’s Ecobouchon program has collected and recycled more than 1,000 tons of corks and funded numerous partner associations.