How can I reuse or recycle wine corks?

CorksAnother suggestion from SaraR:

Hi guys. Thanks for the great ideas for what to do with the leftover coffee – I told one of my colleagues and now she’s taking it home to use on her garden.

Anyway, I have another one for you based on another of my naughty addictions – red wine. We have a number of cork-corks and plastic-corks lying around the house and add to the number regularly, but I don’t know what to do with them. Do you have any ideas?

We’re not wine drinkers so we don’t have much call to reuse or recycle wine corks or the plastic synthetic equivalents so any suggestions for SaraR would be very useful indeed.

I know there are a number of popular wine cork crafts – most commonly noticeboards or trivets – anyone got any specific favourites?

Best Suggestions

  • Reduce: If you brew your own wine, consider reusing old screw top bottles – the range of wine available with screw tops has increased dramatically over the last few years so you’re sure to know someone who can save some bottles for you.
  • Reuse: Slice up real cork wine corks and use them to make noticeboards and trivets or pop them under wobbly table legs. Alternately, use them at the bottom of plant pots to aid drainage.
  • Recycle: Lots of organisations collect cork-corks and synthetic corks. See the comments below for some addresses.
  • See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas

(Awesome photo by xml, c/o sxu.hu)

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food, items, kitchen, packaging

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127 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle wine corks?”


  1. Olia says:

    Cut into parts and make an abacus.

  2. Uluska says:

    Attach it to the end of your memory stick for stronger grip. Makes it more visible too.

  3. Uluska says:

    Soak the corks in a fragrance and use as potpourri.

  4. Galina says:

    For Halloween wear large gloves and stick corks into fingers for the spooky hands.

  5. Galina says:

    Make out of them a hammock for your pet.

  6. launa woodruff says:

    any suggestions for garden use?


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