Cork supplier becomes FAIR'N GREEN-Certified Partner
Amorim Cork Germany is the first company to receive the FAIR'N GREEN sustainability certificate for closure systems. The Fair and Green e. V. association is thus further expanding its network within the value chain.
Sustainable cork
As a subsidiary of the Portuguese Amorim Group, Amorim Cork Germany is the leading manufacturer of cork stoppers for wine and sparkling wine in Germany. Managing Director Gert Reis explains why the company is proud to be a FAIR’N GREEN-Certified Partner:
“At Amorim Cork Germany, we firmly believe that companies have a responsibility to the environment and society. FAIR’N GREEN certification enables us to emphasise our commitment to sustainability and environmental protection even more strongly and remind our customers and interested parties that they are choosing an environmentally friendly wine or sparkling wine closure and a sustainable company.”
– Gert Reis
The FAIR’N GREEN partner certification is fundamental in the endeavour to make the entire wine industry sustainable and to meet the increasing demand for sustainable products.
‘With the first certification of a company in the field of cork stopper systems, an important step has been taken to enable holistically sustainable wine production across the entire value chain,’ emphasises CEO Dr Keith Ulrich.
In a comprehensive review of its sustainability practices, Amorim Cork Germany received a high rating for its commitment to investing in the future-orientation of its operations. The commitment to research and development of innovative products and the cooperation with the Amorim Group in terms of quality control is particularly emphasised.
Amorim Cork Germany has also taken other sustainable measures, such as working with partner organisations to recycle cork, a very good carbon footprint and a positive working atmosphere promoted by regular employee training and development.
The Naturity anti-TCA technology, which was developed in collaboration with the NOVA University of Lisbon, makes it possible to separate and remove TCA from the cork using pressure and heat.
About the company: The parent company was founded in 1870 by António Alves de Amorim and is now owned by the fourth generation of the family. The raw corks from the parent company are further processed by Amorim Cork Germany at its site in Bingen, which includes printing and coating the corks as well as a comprehensive quality inspection. The finished corks are delivered to customers in the German market, but also to neighbouring countries, including the Benelux countries, Scandinavia and Switzerland. Among the cork closures, the company mainly sells sparkling wine and natural corks, with a smaller proportion of technical corks.
Sustainability of natural cork: Cork is a renewable raw material made from the cork bark of oak. This form of cultivation is particularly sustainable, as cork oaks are not felled, but the bark is simply peeled off. This means that the oaks are not damaged and can even bind up to three times more CO2 by regrowing the bark. Cork oak forests also contribute to the preservation of biodiversity, as they form a unique habitat for many endangered animal and plant species. The natural cork itself is biodegradable and can be recycled very easily. In addition to environmental aspects, the sustainability of natural cork also includes social aspects, with cork oak forests creating jobs in the cork-processing industry and other related economic sectors.
About FAIR’N GREEN: FAIR’N GREEN is a certification standard that was developed for viticulture. In addition to the key environmental aspects, the underlying system also covers economic and social issues as well as the entire value chain. After certification, companies receive continuous counselling to guarantee lasting improvement effects. Over 130 companies from 9 countries have already been certified or are in the process of certification. The first companies from upstream and downstream areas of the wine value chain, such as label printing or the specialised wine trade, have now also been certified as Certified Partners. FAIR’N GREEN is thus pursuing the goal of making the entire value chain sustainable.