In Milan, it is possible to walk on the water of the Darsena on recycled cork Amorin Cork Italia

Wine & food is truly one of the protagonists of the “Milan Design Week” 2023, which has been on the scene for days in the Milanese capital (closes on April 23), in a sign of the link between the world of wine and that of design, between glasses created by designers of the moment, furniture that comes from the recycling of food packaging, 3D printed wine-accessories, pop-up restaurants of starred chefs and others that host iconic design pieces. And with “The Sea Deck”, the floating installation by Azimut Yachts, the Italian company of superyachts and luxury boats, made of cork from the recycling of Amorim Cork Italia, the first company in the world in the production of stoppers, designed by Amdl Circle of the famous designer Michele De Lucchi, and presented to offer visitors the unique and exciting experience of walking on the waters of the Milan dock. But also to demonstrate Azimut Yachts’ commitment to reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption on board, as well as Amorin Cork’s commitment to reducing environmental impact and leaving a sustainable footprint in the world. “We are in a country that is the world’s leading wine producer. Every year in Italy 1 billion caps are thrown in the trash. For Amorim Cork Italia, taking part in this installation, in the prestigious context of the “Milan Design Week 2023”, with a cork characterized by such a profound history, is a call to a sense of responsibility on the relevance of cork recycling. As a company that has been working with nature’s precious gift for over 150 years, we are convinced that a better future requires a collective commitment to sustainability at all levels: environmental, social, economic, and cultural, which reaches its apex in the “Suber” line of high-design furniture made with grain recovered from the “Etico” project. These pillars are the heart of our supply chain and of conscious and active participation in “The Sea Deck”, an important sign of proactivity as well as a truly exclusive aesthetic experience”, Carlos Veloso dos Santos at Amorim Cork Italia said.
In 2021, the Amorim Group alone covered 40% of the world cork stopper market, and 28% of the global wine closures market, through 22 branches distributed in the main wine-producing countries across the five continents. Amorim Cork Italia, based in Conegliano, was named the country’s market leader in 2022. With 75 employees, it sold over 667 million caps in 2022 for a turnover of 75.1 million euros, a +6.5% increase over 2021.
The flooring of “The Sea Deck” was operationally born from the support of some of the 45 non-profit organizations participating in Amorim Cork Italia’s “Ethical” project, which collected and sorted used cork stoppers. The project requires Amorim to contribute significantly to the financing of their solidarity projects, thus uniting the first two pillars of sustainability, environmental and social. Beginning with this crucial step in the Amorim circular economy, the corks collected by non-profit organizations enabled the creation of 100% cork granules, which will become the floating promenade. To integrate the hexagonal-shaped installation, the creativity of Sace Components which, with the MarineCork coating, developed the cork surfaces of the terraces, arranged on 4 of the 6 ends of the structure. The product, the flagship of Sace Components’ nautical division, is natural, non-slip, and fireproof, and it is made from regenerable and clearly 100% recyclable materials. And their story does not end there; on the contrary, it will find a third life when recycled and transformed into architectural material.