How to produce a bag with Sustainable Cork Fabric?

How to produce a bag with Sustainable Cork Fabric?

Why you should choose Cork?

Eco-Friendly, Sustainable and Cruelty-Free

100% environment friendly. Natural, sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free material, and for that we guarantee a product that makes an impact on the planet and the artisans who handcraft our products. Cork is one of the most characteristic natural products of Portugal and is part of everyday life without even realizing it.

The stoppers of wine bottles are best known object in our daily life but there are many articles made of cork: fashion accessories, bag, clothing and shoes, furniture and floor or wall coatings, among others. The recent invention of cork fabric has revolutionized this industry and has highlighted its much appreciated properties: it’s resistant, versatile, recyclable, hypoallergenic and has thermal and acoustic qualities. so you can feel good about purchasing something good for you and the environment.

Get Ready for the Latest Innovation in Luxury Fashion Bag and Accessories

Cork fabric, like leather, is soft, sustainable, lightweight, water resistant, stain resistant and absolutely gorgeous. Handcrafted with European standard quality and style, Green Field offers a collection of luxurious cork bags ethically handmade in China through sustainable methods, main product range covers backpack, school bags, diaper bags, duffel bags, gym bags, sport bags, messenger bags, waist bags, chest bags, cosmetic bags, cooler bag, lunch bag, pencil case, coin pouch, wallets, handbag, tote bag, shoulder bags, shopping bag, grocery bag, iPod bag, mobile phone bags & cases, file bags, card holders, clutch bags, insulation bags, luggage & travel bags, business bags & cases, laptop bags, laptop sleeves, work bags, briefcases, storage bags and fashion accessories are made to look beautiful and last for years to come. other sustainable material, design are available, OEM, ODM are welcome.

The more people who buy cork products, the more cork the industry needs and the more cork oak trees which need to be planted and harvested. This creates a virtuous cycle that is healthy for the environment and for our planet. 

Cork fabric is a wonderful vegan alternative to leather, as it is a sustainable, natural, cruelty free and 100% vegan material that is made to be durable and resistant. Besides being waterproof, elastic, fire resistant and unique in its appearance, it is a naturally harvested material, and is the material we use in our popular cork bags and wallets etc.

What is Cork Fabric?

Cork is a 100% natural, renewable and organic material made from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber). Natural cork is 100% reusable and 100% recyclable. It has already been proven that cork is a natural material and is a tree bark.

Cork fabric is a natural cork material harvested from the cork oak tree in Portugal. It is bonded to a cotton/polyester blend fabric. The cork has UV protectant and Scotch Guard applied by the manufacturer. Try to avoid using cork for sharp corners or small, tight folds with several layers (like a small strap tab) – due to its natural properties, cork may produce small, superficial cracks. As it is a natural substrate, it may show some wear over time.

The Composition of Cork

Cork is a unique natural plant tissue, a nest of microscopic cells surrounded by gas (the same air we breathe) and covered primarily with suberin and lignin. Suberin is a natural, highly hydrophobic wax, while lignin (a polymer found in a variety of land plants) plays a role in providing stiffness, impermeability, and elasticity. To date, technology has failed to catch up to this ingenious combination of properties or mimic it in the laboratory. But if you're still wondering how tree bark turns into everyday items like backpack, laptop bag, messenger bag, waist bag, duffel bag, cosmetic bag, shopping bag, wallets, clutches, and briefcases, read on.

Where Is Cork From?

Cork is a 100% renewable resource! Cork is the outer bark of the Cork Oak Tree (Quercus suber in Latin) which grows in the mountain area of at least eight provinces of China and Mediterranean region. The reason for this is due to the climate and types of soil produced within these areas. The tree is distinguished by the great thickness and sponginess of its bark. There are a few different types of cork trees. However, these cork trees produce a bark which is unusable for cork production. Cork is the only tree whose bark can regenerate itself after harvest, leaving the tree unharmed. The initial harvest is done when the tree has reached maturity at around 25 years old. The bark is stripped off 2/3 of the tree, but a thin layer of protective inner bark gives the cork oak its unique ability to survive and regenerate itself after the debarking process. Cork bark regenerates and is harvested every 9 years, making it rapidly renewable. Cork trees can live over 250 years!

A truly remarkable tree which owes its longevity, (on average, 200 years), to a combination of careful farming, (the trees are not damaged and never cut down), and a natural capacity to regenerate itself. The cork bark is stripped, (harvested), from the tree allowing new bark to grow in its place.

Cork Oaks can be found growing in Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy, and North Africa. It is the micro climate and soil types of these regions which allow the trees to flourish and serve as the primary source of raw material for the cork industry. Today more than half of the worlds Cork raw material comes from Portugal, Spain 25%, with the balance being divided between Algeria, France, Morocco, Italy and Tunisia. 

The Use Of Cork

HANDCRAFTED CORK FASHION ACCESSORIES FOR EVERY DAY LIFE

A great variety of products are manufactured from cork. Makes it the perfect material for making bags, clothing, shoes, mats, bottle stoppers, floor tiles, insulation sheets, bulletin boards and other amazing stuff. With evolution of technology, there are now hundreds of cork products available in the market. Green Field offers a collection of luxurious cork bags ethically handmade in China through sustainable methods.

As a matter of fact, cork has emerged as a high-end design material that is being used by industrial designers around the world to make a wide variety of products like furniture and tabletop accessories.
Each day cork is expanding its applications on the planet. Green Field is proud of being an eyewitness of cork's modern applications! 

Natural cork bags made with organic material from the cork oak trees of Portugal. These eco fashion bags are beautiful and perfect for a sustainable fashion lifstyle. 100% vegan leather 

All of our products are handcrafted from the bark of the cork oak tree.  Harvesting the bark helps the tree to grow and live longer.

Shop our collection of gorgeous, sustainable, cruelty-free bags, using only vegan leather (cork) for all of its products to reduce the environmental footprint.

How Does Cork Fabric Turn Into Bags?

To offer our customers a collection of sustainable and ethically made Cork bags that are timeless, functional and making an impact on people’s lives and the planet. We focus on quality over quantity, design, and people over profit.

Not all bark is the same. Cork has some unique properties that allow it to be transformed and even relatively easily transformed, allowing for creative new uses. Cork, for example, is a very stretchy material that can be cut and pressed into cloth-like sheets that can be turned into cruelty-free fashion accessories.

Authentically Made in Portugal with premium locally sourced materials and European quality standard and craftsmanship, our bags are a true reflection of old artisanal manufacturing traditions passed on generation to generation, never compromising their legacy. Cork is a sustainable, vegan, and cruelty-free material, and for that we guarantee a product that makes an impact on the planet and the artisans who handcraft our products.

Its flexible and elastic membrane allows it to return to its original shape after compression. This is a property known as "elastic spring back". It is this property that allows cork stoppers to adapt to unusually shaped bottlenecks. This property is also useful when protecting the device with a cork sleeve. Resilience is great, but impermeability is one of cork's most famous properties. You can take it out in a storm and the water will bounce off it leaving you unharmed. This is because cork membranes contain high levels of fatty compounds (such as suberin).

You don't have to go into the storm to prove it, but taking cork products out in the rain or snow can give you 100% confidence. Cork is not wood, but dead tissue. Yes, it is an inert substance. That is, it is tasteless and, most importantly, does not emit any odor. This is another quality that is highly valued in terms of hygiene and highly valued in the innovative and creative industry. It is also characterized by its durability, or its ability to maintain its original state. This makes them perfect for long-lasting, high-quality vegan accessories.

What Are The Benefits Of Cork?

Considered as the global leading sustainable raw material, cork stands out as a favorite option for manufacturers and designers to further explore. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a wine stopper might give you a clear image of traditional cork using purpose. Due to the tremendous advantages that cork has to offer, cork products are rapidly growing within wide ranges of applications. Cork is a natural material which is well known for its elasticity and impermeability. Products made from cork are also very lightweight, waterproof and stain resistant. Nowadays, cork is widely used for homeowners who are seeking for eco-friendly alternatives for their furniture. If this isn’t reason enough for you to opt for some cork products, we have several convincing pieces of evidence for their advantage that you might not know of.

1.      Water Resistant

This is a thoughtful reason to explain why cork is used as a bottle stopper and also as flooring. It might look spongy outside, but what will amaze use is that cork is waterproof. This material contains millions of cells in each cubic centimeter which may be mistaken as absorbent fabric; however, these cells also contain suberin, which is a natural fatty substance. Therefore, almost no water retention is made within its cell walls, perfectly explaining why cork has water resistance properties.

Cork bags and sleeves are perfect selections for you to keep your devices totally safe even in the most severe weather conditions, thanks to their moisture resistance and liquid impermeability.

2.      Health And Safety

Products made from cork are actually beneficial to your health. They help carry your devices safely. Cork is naturally anti-microbial which assures a great promise in deteriorating mold, mildew, termites and other harmful insect infestations. Cork's antistatic surface limits the chance of dust and toxin absorption, making it a great choice for people with allergies. Being a great material to use around the home, cork hardly releases volatile organic compounds that may affect badly your home’s indoor atmosphere. Cork is also a slow combustion material, which contains off-gas property that prevents itself against flame and heat. It takes extremely high temps to let the inflammation or melting occur. During the combustion process, cork generates less smoke and chemicals than other materials such as vinyl and laminate.

Note: Although cork is considered fire resistant, don’t mistake that it is well fire retardant too. It is better not to place things made from cork close to open flame.

3.      Durability

Cork is often used as materials in the household, for instance as a flooring, bath mats, and tableware since it is proved to be super resistant. Its cracking and abrasions resistance, along with amazing ability to stay well against liquids and moisture help your cork products’ lifetime extent up to 30 years or longer if properly cared for. In addition to cork flooring products, cork can maintain its pristine form in spite of the weight of furniture that is placed on it, so you can assure there will be no indent marks caused by furniture over time. Apparently, with such impressive properties, there is no doubt that cork is the most long-lasting material ever.

4.      Environmentally Friendly

Almost cork products have very little or no negative impact on the environment. As originally harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, it showed that without chopping down the actual trees, people can still make use of their products into industrialization. No waste has been made during the manufacturing process, and the leftover materials are reused and bound together.

Another reason is that the periods for re-harvesting bark are long (every 14 years available) which make cork rapidly renewable among other natural resources. Since cork is recyclable, a significant amount of carbon incorporated in this material can be delayed to emit back to the atmosphere. Otherwise, as the cork is sustainable, cork industries find themselves in need to adopt more cork oak trees so as to meet the growing demand from purchasers, which indirectly creates a cycle that supports a healthier environment.

5.      Versatility And Diversity

Cork is a versatile raw material which is available in many different technological transformation processes, thereby generating several products in various sizes, styles, and colors. Since cork is taken from nature; therefore, no piece is the same. Thus, there will be a multitude of grain, texture and color choices regarding cork products. This is why no two cork handbags are exactly alike!

The two factors that make cork a favorite thermal insulation are the low thermal conductivity and incredibly compressive strength. Thus, cork products are widely used in fashion bags, floor coverings, shoes, fridge’s thermal insulation and other construction purposes. Not yet, as being super tenacious, cork is totally recyclable and cork products can be recycled many times. They can be grouped together no matter how it varies in sizes. In the final stage of their life when no more cork can be useful for a human being, cork products can be used in energy degeneration, producing CO2 and high calorific value when being incinerated.

How can I clean cork fabric?

Cleaning your cork purse and cork accessories is easy!

For general cleaning Use warm water saddle soap and gently scrub.

Dampen a reusable soft cloth with warm water and a couple drops of saddle soap. Saddle soap is ideal, but any regular soap you have at home will do just fine. Once you have a damp cloth with soap ready, gently scrub your purse in small circles all over, paying special attention to any areas that are visibly dirty.

FAQs:

Cork? Like Wine Corks?
Yes, it’s the same material, shaved from the bark of cork trees. We use what is essentially cloth, made from thin strips of the same kind of cork, to create the most unique, luxurious, lightweight handbags that have ever been available.

Cork Fabric has a fabric support backing, making it easy to cut and sew. It feels like a quality leather: soft, smooth, and pliable.

Natural cork fabric, perfect for sewing on a home sewing machine! Great for bags and wallets.

Is cork fabric vegan?

Cork fabric is 100% vegan, sustainable, making it a great leather alternative—thus giving it one of its main sustainability benefits. 

How is cork leather made?

Cork fabric and the process is 100% the same. No tanning, finishing, or additives required! 

However, cork can sometimes be backed with unsustainable materials. Note that if your cork leather handbag is lined with PU, treated with a fabric protection spray, or dyed with a toxic dye, that will impact its biodegradability. 

How is cork leather dyed?

Just like any other fabric, dyes may be added to the cork leather. This can happen a few different ways, but the best is when natural plant-based dyes typically blue, green, or brown are added to the cork leather. 

Unfortunately, toxic dyes may also be used to add color. Double-check with the brand or manufacturer to ensure that natural, plant-based dyes are used instead. 

You may even find cork leather in its lovely, natural tan color.

Is cork fabric durable and elastic?

Cork is as durable and has similar properties to leather making it an Eco alternative to leather.

Think that cork is used in construction, rocket science, shoe manufacturing and other demanding applications!

Did not find the style or size you were looking for? No worries! Above designs are just to give you an idea of what we can do. Every bag is completely customizable to size, shape, color, print, and accessories such as zippers, buttons, pockets or trims. You can send us your inspirations, ideas, and references and we will make your bags. OEM, ODM are welcome.