While living in Portugal last year, Lucy started making natural tick collars for dogs using the local, vegan cork. These bracelets are made with the leftover cork from these collars, so very eco-friendly. She continues to make them here in East Devon.
Clasps - the single bracelets have lobster or snap clasps. The triples have snap clasps.
The beads, spacers and clasps are all made of Zamak alloy which is hypoallergenic.
All the bracelets are approx 20cm long.
Cork is a natural material that has been used since the beginning of recorded history, and is widely known for its usage in wine bottles, bulletin boards, and coasters. But only in recent years have people begun to start thinking about how to use cork in more innovative ways. Cork has innumerable uses, from green building insulation material and flooring to cork leather, used to make bags, wallets, and fashion accessories.
Lucy says : I live in my van with my husband and Portuguese rescue dog. Spending 6 months in and around Seaton, and 6 months travelling down to Portugal for the winter. I have always made crafts, and tried many things, I have always tried to be eco friendly and sustainable. hence making these bracelets with the waste cork from my dog collars.
About cork:
Cork leather comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, and is considered one of the most sustainable forestry practices on the planet. Harvesting cork does not harm the Cork Oak in any way, but instead, helps it to enter a regeneration process, which extends its lifespan in the long-term. Cork leather is not only the most natural and durable "vegan leather" currently on the market, but it has all of the benefits of animal leather, and none of the cruelty and pollution.
Cork grows in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, which are Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, and enriches the soil and livelihood of all of these countries. Cork forests absorb thousands of tons of CO2 on a daily basis, provide a watershed and roots that provide nutrients for the soil, produce oxygen, and are home to untold plant and animal species that are often endangered or exist nowhere else in the world. Cork forests contribute to the natural beauty and purity of the Mediterranean.
Unlike with leather production, the communities that grow and manufacture cork benefit greatly from cork forests and from making and using cork products.
Cork is the outer bark of the Cork Oak tree, Quercus Suber. Cork oaks are found in forests surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Portugal is the world's largest cork producer, but Cork Oaks are also cultivated in Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Cork is easily stripped from the tree from May to August by skilled cork harvesters, and the tree itself is not harmed in any way. The tree forms new protective layers of cork quickly after its bark is removed. And the best part- stripping the cork bark is actually beneficial to the health of the tree, as well as the environment! This is because the cork oak is able to absorb much higher levels of carbon dioxide after the bark is harvested.