Corks (Natural) Alternative ways to recycle Put in Garbage Cart/Bin Plastic corks should also go in the garbage. They are too small to be recycled through the City’s curbside recycling program. Plastic Corks: Too Small to Recycle Many synthetic corks are made out of plastic #7, but unfortunately are too small to be recovered by sorting equipment, so they go in the trash. Composting Natural Corks You can compost natural corks, but they will take a long time to break down unless you break them up into small pieces first, or even better, run them through a blender. Alternative Ways to Recycle CorkClub Recycling CorkClub is a sustainability initiative funded by WidgetCo, a leader in wine cork recycling and upcycling. Mail in both natural and synthetic wine corks in shipments of 5 lbs (or 500 wine corks, or 800 cubic inches). For each natural wine cork received, WidgetCo donates to forest and ocean conservation non-profits, and synthetic wine corks are recycled. Ways to Reuse Hydrate Your Plants Break up a wine cork and add the pieces to the soil of your potted plants to reduce the rate of water evaporation during hot summer days.
