cork

Cork hails from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, Quercus Suber. Produced extensively in Portugal and Spain. Once the trees are about 25 years old the cork is stripped from the trunks every 9 years. The trees live for about 200 years.

cork is:
biodegradable, natural, and renewable
fire resistant
provides insulation
expandable and impermeable insuring excellent bottle stopping qualities
Dom Perignon, a French Benedictine monk, is rumored to be the first to use cork in a bottle of Champagne [1668]. Before cork, it had been a common practice to close bottles with a piece of wood wrapped in hemp previously dipped in olive oil.

highly reuse-able
Some sites in the USA offer wine cork recycling. Whole Foods in Northern California has a drop off station. Wine corks are granulated and turned into products such as pin boards, tile, engine gaskets, hockey balls, safety mats, and boat decks. Recently, wine cork has even been used in rocket technology. Even cork dust can be used for fuel and cork residue can be used to make other cork products.

Bathing Suits Made of Cork
Source: Mechanix Illustrated
Issue: Nov, 1939