The document describes David Wibberley's cork recycling initiative at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Cape Town. It began when Wibberley wanted to help prevent accidental fires in poor communities. He realized cork's fire-retardant properties and started collecting corks to make cork flooring for schools. The initiative has received support from local wineries and hotels. Over 25,000 corks have been collected so far. The first floor was laid at the Eerste River Empowerment Centre for abused children. The initiative aims to continue recycling corks from the wine industry.

1. uncorked
- recycling
initiative
establised
in december
2011

2. introduction
“They say all great ideas hit you in a flash or come to
you in a dream but this idea came to me through
some unfortunate events. Many poorer communities
are being affected by accidental fires in their shacks.
Paraffin lamps orcandles are knocked over,
setting blankets alight often resulting in the death of children.
It really ate away at me for quite some time as what anyone
could do to prevent this.
What could we do to help to prevent this and how?”
- David Wibberly, The Vineyard Hotel & Spa’s Food & Beverage Duty Manager

3. how it all began
“I recently had an interesting meeting in Stellenbosch where I acquired some very insightful information from the
Managing Director of Amorim Cork South Africa, Joaquim Sa. Amorim Cork is a large supplier of Cork in South Africa.
A Portuguese based company with many interests in sustainability and recycling projects with this very understated and
underrated product we refer to as, Cork.
Cork has many qualities and when I heard things like its used in space shuttles in the burners because of is fire retardant
qualities and its lightweight mass, a spark lit inside my head of what we could do with this product. Joaquim told me that
cork has been manufactured into various products that have a mass amount of qualities and is a very sustainable product.
With the help and advice of Joaquim Sa and assistance of Amorim Cork, we are collecting corks from around the
Western Cape from Wines farms, restaurants, households, families , friends and even in our own Food & Beverage
outlets to recycle and turn into ‘Cork Flooring’” - David Wibberley
.

4. cork facts
The unique and valuable properties of cork include:
Lightness:
Cork is light and floats on water. For many thousands of years, this has been its most evident and
most celebrated characteristic. Since ancient times, cork has been used in fishing equipment.
Elasticity and Resiliency:
The cell membranes of cork are highly flexible, making it both compressible and elastic. This means it returns to its original
shape after being subjected to pressure. This and other characteristics explain why cork has become an indispensable material
for making bottle stoppers. These physical qualities mean that cork can be fitted perfectly against the walls of the bottleneck.
When cork is subjected to strong pressure, the gas in the cells is compressed and considerably reduced in volume.
When the pressure is released, the cork immediately recovers its original shape and volume, showing no trace of having
been subjected to any appreciable deformation.
Impermeability:
The presence of suberin (a complex mixture of fatty acids and heavy organic alcohol) renders cork impermeable
to both liquids and gases. As a result, it does not rot, making it one of the best seals available.
Insulation and fire retardant qualities:
The value of cork is further enhanced by its low conductivity of heat, sound and vibration. This is because the gaseous elements
it contains are sealed in tiny, impermeable compartments, insulated from each other by a moisture-resistant material.
This endows cork with one of the best insulating capacities, both thermal and acoustic, of any natural substance.
Cork is also a natural fire retardant: it neither spreads flames nor releases toxic gases during combustion.
Resistance to wear:
Cork is remarkably resistant to wear and has a high friction coefficient.
Thanks to its honeycomb structure, it is less affected by impact or friction than other hard surfaces.
Hypoallergenic properties:
Because cork does not absorb dust, it helps protect against allergies and does not pose a risk to asthma sufferers.
It also has an unchangeable constitution that guarantees efficiency.

5. vineyard hotel & spa’s involvement
The Vineyard Hotel & Spa prides itself in its involvement in community projects and it does strive to be the
‘Greenest’ Hotel in South Africa. I choose to get involved with a project we call, “Our Kids of the Cape”
.
This is a collection of initiatives where there are Primary Schools, Outreach programmes, Homes for Abused Teenage Girls
along with 6 other properties that the Vineyard Hotel & Spa has marked as their community give back outlets.
We will take each outlet in the “Our Kids of the Cape” and take a specific area such as a playroom, reading area,
games room or any other room that has an active theme to it and lays it with the ‘Cork Flooring’.
The aim of this is to take something total recyclable and something that is being thrown away without an
awareness of what can be created from it and give back to the community where is can be put to good use.
The Wine Industry in the Western Cape is a thriving business and cork is used immensely in this area.
The Vineyard Hotel & Spa has benchmarked its wine involvement as a pillar of what the Hotel is all about
and therefore takes our involvement in this project as another notch to what we can achieve and give back.
We plan to cement this project into an ongoing and forever giving back initiative that will keep
on going as long as you are drinking wine.

6. collecting the corks

7. a cork
tree

8. the process
laying the cork panels on
the tile flooring.

9. before...

10. ...and after

11. the end result 09.02.2012

12. the contributors
• Cape Point Vineyards, Duncan Savage • Vineyard Hotel & Spa’s 5 Wine Partners:
• Delaire, Morne Waterford, Meerlust, Simonsig,
• Boschendal, Marynde Klein Constantia and Warwick
• Klein Constantia, Stiaan and Matt
• Constantia Uitsig, Andre • Vineyard Hotel & Spa Staff Members include:
• Groot Constantia, Danie Matt Deitchman, Food & Beverage Manager ;
• Buitenverwachting, Tasting Room Roy Davies, General Manager;
• The Athol Fugard Theatre Afke van Druenen, Assistant Restaurant Manager
• Thelema Tasting Room
• Villiera, Jeff Grier • Sebastian Beaumont from Beaumont Wines
• WinEx Cape Town • Di Fraser, Chairperson of the Claremont Village Civic
• Sandra Meyer Association, collected from Rupert and Rothschild
• Angela Lloyd
• Anthonij Rupert Wines, Andrew Harris

13. radio interviews with david wibberley
Click below to listen to the interviews.

14. Circulation 52 041 Die Burger, Sake 24
22 February 2012
Ad Value R 20,404.41 Circulation 52 041
PR Value R 61,213.23 Ad Value R 3,469.94
press releases by the phoenix partnership PR Value R 10,409.82
Meetings SA
01 January 2012
Circulation 3 905
Ad Value R 3,748.99
PR Value R 11,246.97

15. press releases by the phoenix partnership
MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE
Good Taste For Immediate Release
A Good Way to Recycle Wine Corks VINEYARD HOTEL & SPA UNCORKS ITS LATEST RECYCLING INITIATIVE
(Cape Town, 1 March 2012) Wine corks make a good playing surface. The Vineyard Hotel & (Cape Town, 1 December 2011) The Vineyard Hotel & Spa’s Food & Beverage Duty Manager,
David Wibberley recently implemented a unique and truly inspiring idea of recycling corks to
Spa is recycling wine corks as flooring for schools for underprivileged kids. "Cork has excellent
provide flooring for schools catering for underprivileged kids.
elasticity and durability as well as fire retardant qualities." says David Wibberley, the hotel's
food and beverage manager who came with the idea. “The idea unfolded through hearing about a spate of unfortunate events. Many poorer communities
are affected by accidental fires in their shacks with paraffin lamps or candles being knocked over,
setting blankets alight and often resulting in the death of children. Cork has excellent fire retardant
The project had received great support from visitors to the hotel over recent months, as well
qualities as well as having elasticity, durability and hypo-allergenic qualities.
as from the Vineyard's five wine partners: Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Boschendal
I suddenly realised the potential of this product,” explained Wibberley.
and Anthonij Rupert, and a combined effort by Villiera and Groot Constantia. Together they
collect over 25 000 corks in just three months. The first to benefit from the recycled corks is the The project received enormous support from visitors and guests to the hotel, as well as from
the Vineyard Hotel & Spa’s 5 wine partners (8, 000 corks alone from Klein Constantia),
Eerste River Empowerment Centre, a safe house for children from abusive homes. The
Buitenverwachting, Boschendal and Anthonij Rupert with a combined effort by Villiera
recycled corks will cover an area of 24 sq. metres that serves as a kid's playroom. Well done,
and Groot Constantia collecting over 6000 corks for the project. As a result, the
David! Vineyard Hotel & Spa has already collected over 25, 000 corks!
For more information on how to get involved visit www.vineyard.co.za or the Facebook page
The first project that will benefit from the recycled corks is the Eerste Rivier Empowerment Centre.
David Wibberley (Uncorked) link: http://bit.ly/qqAP4y.
The centre houses foster kids that have come from abusive homes. The recycled corks will cover
an area of 24 sq. metres that serves as a playroom for the kids.
ENDS
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The Vineyard Hotel & Spa has benchmarked wine as one of their brand pillars and
therefore their involvement in this project is a way of paying it forward, having a positive
PREPARED BY The Phoenix Partnership
impact on the community.
DATE March 2011
FOR CLIENT Vineyard Hotel & Spa
For more information on how to get involved in this worthwhile initiative, visit www.vineyardhotel.co.za.
MORE INFORMATION Claire Watt
Tel: 021 686 2331
Mobile: (+27) 082 490 3796 ENDS
E-mail: claire@phoenixpartnership.co.za

16. about david wibberley
He is a driven individual. When he sets
his sights on something, he is determined
to achieve it. Always has the good of
people front of mind. He is an opportunist
who sees the bigger picture in the
marketplace. His optimism cascades
towards his zest not only for life in general
but particularly encapsulates his passion
for the wine arena - and consequently the
innovative Vineyard Hotel cork initiative of
which he is the architect. An amazing and
an awesome project.
t 021 657 4554
c 072 117 2147
e david@vineyard.co.za / davewibberley@yahoo.co.uk
twitter: @bordeauxboy / @uncorkedsa