I have been thinking about how I can further fulfil my sustainable ‘manifesto’ of design. I have thought about using recycling PVC tarps. Discourse with upholsters have indicated that it can be hard to work with because it is not flexible and from my personal experience I have found that it is quite hard to get a hold of a piece to re-use and quality of used parts can be variable.

While pondering this problem I reflected on some of my academic experiences. Sam Potts, a 2023 Coventry University graduate, investigated the use of cork in his final major project. Exemplifying it as a sustainable material that could be attractive to new generation users. Cork is widely available, highly sustainable material so I bought a sample to try out. After doing some google research it appears that cork’s not just incredible for its eco-friendly credentials. As a raw material it has many sought-after qualities: cushioning, insulating, fire-resistant, anti-microbial (odour-repellent), biodegradable, buoyant, and beautiful. This combination of factors makes cork a great option for use in a variety of applications, and people have been making the most of its versatility for generations.

Fun facts about cork:

1. Cork is biodegradable and recyclable
   First and foremost, end-of-life matters, especially to me as a zero waster. Most materials manufactured today are synthetic and hard to recycle, let alone compostable or biodegradable.
   
2. Cork is regenerative
   The cork tree has an amazing quality. It can regenerate its bark after harvesting it. No other tree can do this, which makes it the perfect regenerative and sustainable solution. Around two thirds of the bark can be removed after the first twenty years of the cork tree’s life. Provided none of the inner tree is damaged, the harvesting process can be repeated around every nine years for over 200 years.
   
3. Cork forests sequester carbon
   Most impressively, cork forests are super effective carbon sinks, helping us to combat climate change. It is estimated that a well-managed cork forest can absorb around 14.7 tons of CO2 per hectare every single year. A single wine cork represents 70 times its weight in carbon consumption.
   
4. Cork supports biodiversity
   Cork is one of the most important habitats in the world, supporting the lives of 135 plants and over 200 animals. Did you know cork forests even have a similar level of biodiversity to the Amazon rainforest and African savannas? These are spots have some of the highest biodiversity levels in the world!

Contributing text about the attributes of cork came from http://www.yoursole.com & http://www.greenify-me.com. However, there is much more evidence available to suggest that this is an amazing material that should be used and showcased in any sustainable project.

Using cork on bikes is not a new idea. It is used on many contemporary designs in ribbon and solid forms. as can be seen in the example below by Spoked.