Houlihan’s Restaurants, a modern American restaurant and bar, announces a new partnership with ReCORK, a U.S.-based natural wine cork recycling program dedicated to keeping corks out of landfills and repurposing corks into practical products.
Known for its social bar, lounge, and happy hour, Houlihan’s will now recycle every wine cork popped. The restaurant chain will also serve as a drop-off recycling center where guests can bring in their natural corks from home.
“At Houlihan’s, we sell a lot of wine, so it feels great to be part of the solution to help re-purpose cork rather than throwing them away and harvesting more trees,” says Jen Gulvik, senior VP marketing and creative director, Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc. “If you’re tired of looking at that vase full of corks and have come to the realization that you’ll likely never get around to that DIY cork project, just leave those corks with us and we’ll recycle them.”
ReCORK repurposes natural corks into many upcycled products, including sustainable footwear through its partnership with SOLE. ReCORK plans to grind down all corks dropped off at Houlihan’s 83 locations to create soles for shoes and sandals.
“Even though cork is 100 percent natural, renewable, and biodegradable, most wine corks end up in landfills,” says Matt Hughes from ReCORK. “By partnering with Houlihan’s Restaurants, we’re one step closer to helping spread the word and increasing awareness about the importance of cork recycling.”
With a mission to help educate audiences about the crucial role cork forests play in curbing climate change, ReCORK is supported by Amorim, a global initiative to save and protect more than 6 million acres of cork forest around the Mediterranean Basin, which are vital to local economies and battle against global warming.
Houlihan’s joins sister restaurants J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood, Devon Seafood + Steak, and Bristol Seafood Grill in the ReCORK recycling partnership.
