London cork recycling initiative announced

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 31 March, 2026

In partnership with Harpers, APCOR (the Portuguese Cork Association) is launching the first UK Cork Harvest, an initiative to promote cork recycling amongst independent retailers.

The scheme – which will start in May – is inviting indies from across London to get involved.

Those who take part will receive branded cork recycling bins and the ability to use a dedicated collection service, which will ensure that returned corks are responsibly recycled.

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As the scheme progresses, APCOR will update participants on what is happening to the corks which, once collected, will be directed into recycling or reuse pathways, where they will be processed and transformed into new products.

The organisation is currently working with its partners on this next stage of the corks’ ‘journey’.

APCOR said that there are multiple reasons to take part, including giving customers a reason to come back to a merchant’s shop (to return corks), showing leadership on sustainability and the opportunity to be part of a London collective highlighting the role that independents play in sustainability.

It added that indies who take part will benefit from the visibility that the campaign will bring, with media partnerships (including with Harpers) and social media promotions through influencers, that will encourage consumers to return their corks.

Registration for the scheme takes two minutes (according to APCOR), with signups required by 10 April to be included in the first round of recycling bin deliveries.

Registration will remain open after this.

Once all participating sites are selected, delivery of the branded cork recycling bins will be arranged for the week commencing 20 April.

Registration is now open here.

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