General Information on Bag-a-Cork

Bag-a-Cork is a unique recycling initiative operated by Ontario Girl Guides.   Other founding members of the program were Iron Gate Cellarage and Jelinek Cork Group.  The aim of the Bag-a-Cork program is to prevent natural cork bottle stoppers from being placed in Ontario landfill sites.   It is the only waste diversion program of it’s kind in North America!

Bag-a-Cork is supported by many volunteer members of Ontario Girl Guides and after a successful pilot-stage from 2005 until December of 2006 the program is going province-wide.  Adult members will agree to “adopt” a collection site (Affiliate) and both adults and girls will participate in the service project to collect and sort cork for a year.  These cork bottle stoppers are dropped off by both the members of the public and private businesses at affiliate locations.

Proceeds from the sale of cork to Jelinek Cork Group are placed in the Ontario Girl Guides “C.O.R.K. Fund” (Creating Opportunities for Resourceful Kids) and Guiding members that participate in the Adopt a Bin challenge will be able to apply for a grant to receive monies to generate an environmentally based project in their own community.

• read more about Affiliates

Program Specifics:

The Bag-a-Cork recycling program is designed to raise awareness of Ontario Girl Guides and the commitment they have to environmental stewardship.  It is a wonderful, simple service project that is applicable to any age group.

Both members of the public and businesses (that may collect many corks through daily operation) are able to participate by depositing cork bottle stoppers at a nearby affiliate site. They can assist with the waste diversion program and at the same time help raise funds for other Ontario Girl Guide environmental initiatives.


What we cannot have deposited in our bins.

Only natural cork bottle stoppers have the ability to be recycled, therefore, synthetic stoppers cannot be placed in a collection bin.  Ontario Girl Guides are not collecting cork stoppers because there is a “shortage” of cork.  In fact, there is enough cork in the regulated Mediterranean cork forest to last for another 100 years without needing to grow another tree.  We are simply diverting waste from landfill sites as there are so many other uses for this wonderful natural product.

Once cork bottle stoppers are deposited, Guiding volunteers take on the task of sorting the bags of cork and removing debris or cork with foreign substances adhered to them as well as disposing of the synthetic cork.  This is considered a service project in Guiding.  All branches within Guiding can participate!

Tippet Richardson has partnered with Ontario Girl Guides to donate staff time and trucks to transport cork for recycling from various Ontario communities to the Jelinek plant in Oakville, Ontario.  Tippet Richardson has been around almost as long as Guiding and what a wonderful record they continue to have for providing great service and being a good corporate citizen. 

The Ontario Girl Guide cork is then sold to Jelinek and ground and re-sold to the North American cork industry.

How can you help?

  • Collect your cork bottle stoppers and deposit them at a collection site (affiliate).  Note that only natural cork bottle stoppers can be donated..  Only natural cork is 100% recyclable.   We cannot accept plastic corks or natural cork stopper that have plastic, paper or metal adhered to them.  Cork boards, coasters or other cork products cannot be collected at this time.
  • Frequent restaurants and other retail outlets that support the program to let them know that you are interested in helping divert waste.
  • Purchase wine with only natural cork stoppers as they are environmentally friendly!  In no way, does the harvesting of a wine cork damage the environment. In fact, according to the WWF you are helping to support a long-standing industry that is one of the very few that both mankind and the environment can benefit.  Keep the cork landscapes in business by harvesting cork and prevent decertification and the potential loss of animal life should forests be used for other purposes or eliminated to make way for other types of land use.  For more information on cork landscapes visit www.panda.org.
Recycling starts with awareness so please help spread the word and pass this website along to friends.  Your cork means funds for Ontario Girl Guides to create other environmental stewardship projects in their communities in Ontario through the C.O.R.K. fund (Creating Opportunities for Resourceful Kids)!