The scheme will see Amorim planting dozens of new cork oaks each year on behalf of Laithwaites. These trees will supply corks for Laithwaites wines for years to come.
Anne Linder, head of wine development at Laithwaites Wine said: “It’s all about giving back what we use.
“We’re firmly committed to the use of real cork closures and work closely with Amorim to develop the best stoppers for our wines. We see using natural cork as really positive for the environment and it sends out a strong ecological message to our 700,000 odd customers.”
Chairman Tony Laithwaite said: “Roughly 1.7 million cork-closed bottles of wine are sold through the shops each year, so there’s huge potential to recycle. We’ve had a great response from customers since we started the cork recycling initiative."
The used corks are either used as moisture retainers on the company’s vineyard in Theale, near Reading, or donated to local schools to make cork boards for charity sales, and the granules can be used in a wide range of products from aerospace industry materials to designer shoes.
