Natural cork is by far the most ecological responsible product at hand and perfect example of totally sustainable forestry.Cork is shaven every 9 years from a tree that grows for some 200 years. The “Quercus suber” referred too as cork oak grows primarily around the Mediterranean. It’s a natural treasure that provides numerous environmental benefits (including soil conservation, regulation of the water cycle, reduction of carbon emissions and preservation of the biodiversity), “According to a study published by the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) in Lisbon, the montado can retain about 6 tonnes of CO2 per hectare and year, which corresponds, in the case of Portugal, to more than 4 million ton of CO2 per year. It is therefore concluded that the Mediterranean cork oak forests (2.1 million hectares) enable the retention of nearly 14 million ton of CO2 per year” “Portugal is a world leader in the production, processing and marketing of cork. It has the largest area of cork oak forests in the world, with more than 730 thousand hectares (34% of the total), and produces 100,000 tons of cork (5% of the total). It is the world’s largest exporter of processed products, with 63%, which is equivalent to 986.3 million euros” Portuguese exports of cork represent approximately 2% of all Portuguese goods exported, 1.2% of total exports, and a balance of trade of 815.6 million euros. (Source: Analysis of companies in the wood, cork and paper sectors, Banco de Portugal, 2016 and updated on January 2018)