The goal of the project is to recover and recycle the cork stoppers from wine bottles in order to provide them with a new application, specifically converting them into covering and insulation materials for subsequent use in building new rooms. In addition to acting as a heat insulator, this recycled material reduces noise pollution and the need for artificial temperature control, thus enhancing the rooms’ and overall hotel’s energy efficiency.

It is a pioneering initiative in the European hotel sector which dates back to 2011, when NH Hotel Group conceived of the idea together with the leading producer of cork and cork covering materials, Amorim. Encouraged by the strong results to date, having collected 1,994 kilograms of cork for reuse in the construction of 300 new rooms (around 8,000 sqm), the Group is looking to step up the programme by collecting not only cork stoppers but also other hotel products for recycling and utilisation.