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)

Related Categories

food, items, kitchen, packaging

Search for other related items



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


  1. Gulia says:

    Glue the cork onto a stand of some sort to hold the rings.

  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. launa woodruff says:

    any suggestions for garden use?

  5. Emma Ferris says:

    Hi All,

    I am collecting corks for a recycling project. Please send them to me if you have any lying around.

    My email is, emma.ferris@live.co.uk

    Many Thanks

    Emma

  6. John says:

    Put corks under your cars wiper ARM in the winter. Holds the wiper blade off the windscreen, also preventing damage to the wiper or motor if you’ve left them switched on when you parked up.

  7. Denise says:

    I would like the corks if you have any of the real corks, not the plastic. Please message me.

    • Barbara Tindale says:

      Dear Denise
      I have been collecting real corks, not the plastic kind, for quite a while. I have been trying to find someone who would like them as my original recipient no longer wants them. Do not want to “bin them”.
      Kind regards Barbara aka barbaratindale @yahoo.co.uk

  8. rick says:

    Real corks are very handy for lighting fires. They are almost like eco-firelighters. They work best if dried for a few weeks before use. We toss them in the log basket and collect bags from the in-laws. (Don’t use plastic corks for this though!)

  9. Ann Wells-Thorpe says:

    I use them as mulch on plant pots and small plants being potted on. This helps to keep the soil wet in the summer in between watering and is also effective in stopping snails demolishing struggling potted on plants and/or nibbling at lower leaves.

  10. moon says:

    Corks from wine bottles to cap the tops of my stakes in my garden to stop poking out your eyeballs. I buy canes or rebar of suitable lengths ,drill a hole in the top of the corks and slip them over the stakes Safety first .

  11. Eileen says:

    There are now places in the UK and in USA drop off locations to recycle real cork wine corks. Don’t donate the synthetic corks. Ask you local liquor store if they will set one up.


Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Quick Recycling Tip: How to Recycle Traditional Wine Corks | Green Eggs & Planet 10 01 17

Leave a Reply

Your name
Your email (it will not be published. If you want people to contact you, leave your email address in the message too.)
Your website (if you've got one)