Are you a bit of a wine connoisseur? Even if you’re just a casual fan of wine, it’s easy to see why wine is so great to keep around.
Having a nice glass of wine after a long week of work feels fantastic. If you buy wine that comes corked, you’ll need a corkscrew to easily get the wine open.
Once the wine is finished, you’ll need to get rid of the cork. You might not want to just throw it away, though.
If you’re someone who likes to try to compost things, you might be wondering if you can compost wine corks. Will it be fine to throw old wine corks in the compost bin?
Keep reading to learn about wine corks and whether they can be composted. This will ensure that you understand the best way to get rid of wine corks.
Some Wine Corks Can Be Composted
Some wine corks can indeed be composted. You just need to make sure that they’re made out of the right material first.
There are traditional corks that are made using organic materials. Some less expensive types of wine might come with corks that are made of plastic, though.
As you might expect, plastic corks cannot be composted. If you have a true wine cork on your hands, you’ll be able to throw it in your compost bin without hesitation.
Before throwing a wine cork in the compost bin, it’s important to remove any other materials that are attached to it. You also won’t be able to compost the cork if it has been painted for some reason.
So long as the cork seems natural and fine, it’ll be okay to compost it. It’ll biodegrade just like the other organic material in the compost pile.
You Can Also Recycle Wine Corks
Another option is to recycle wine corks. You don’t need to put them in the trash if you have a recycling center in your area.
Synthetic corks can be placed directly into the appropriate recycling bins. Natural corks might need to be recycled at special centers that take them.
Depending on where you’re located, there may or may not be a recycling center that recycles natural corks. If your city doesn’t have such a recycling center, the most practical option is to compost the natural wine cork.
You could also choose to throw it in the trash if you want to. If you have a compost bin, it simply makes more sense to compost it.
Making a Compost Bin
Making a compost bin isn’t difficult at all. First, you need to find a good spot in your yard where the compost bin can go.
Ideally, you want a spot that is close to your garden. It should be a bit out of sight so that it doesn’t negatively impact the appearance of the yard.
Next, you’ll need to purchase some type of bin or container. An 18-gallon tote should work nicely.
A plastic storage container with a tight-fitting lid is what you need. Next, cut off the bottom of the plastic container with a saw.
Use a large drill bit to drill holes all around the container. This is being done for ventilation purposes.
Now you’re ready to fill the compost bin. You can put all sorts of organic garbage in this bin.
Put plant debris in the compost bin as well as old bits of food. You’ll want to secure the top of the bin to prevent wild animals from getting inside.
Using the bin will be rather simple. You throw organic waste in there and stir it around every so often using a shovel or some other type of tool.
There Are Other Compost Bin Designs
The design idea presented above is one of many. There are so many different ways to make compost bins and piles in your area.
You don’t necessarily need to buy a plastic tote to get the job done. If you have some carpentry skills, you might be more inclined to build something nice.
There are various types of compost bin designs online that you can look to for inspiration. This will allow you to choose the compost bin style that suits your needs the best.
No matter what, it’s going to be great to have a compost bin. Read on to learn how useful compost can be.
Uses for Compost
Compost is very useful. You can use compost to fertilize your plants.
If you like to grow plants or vegetables in your yard, it’s going to pay off to have a compost bin. This will create rich soil that you can use to give nutrients to your plants.
You’ll have a steady flow of compost due to throwing away organic garbage and plant debris from the garden. This helps you to avoid adding unnecessary garbage to local landfills, too.
The wine corks will biodegrade alongside the rest of the organic debris. They’ll help you to keep your plants healthy, and it’ll be good to watch your garden area thrive.
What Else Can You Do with Old Wine Corks?
Are there any other interesting things that you can do with old wine corks? Or will there not be any choice but to recycle them or compost them?
There are actually a few different ways that people have been using old wine corks. If you’re a creative person, you might find some of these ideas appealing.
Turn Old Wine Corks Into Fridge Magnets
One interesting idea is to use old wine corks as fridge magnets. Wine corks have a very neat look to them, and they should look nice on your refrigerator.
To accomplish this, you simply need to attach a magnetic strip to the back of the wine cork. After this, you can use the cork magnets to hang notes on your fridge.
If you use fridge magnets, this might be a good idea to go with. Many people like to keep reminders on their refrigerators so they don’t forget about appointments and other such things.
Turn Wine Corks Into Pin Cushions
Wine corks will make for very good pin cushions as well. If you’re someone who enjoys sewing, having more pin cushions around will come in handy.
Some people choose to decorate the wine corks to make things more interesting. If you want to go to the effort, you could paint the wine corks to make them look very snazzy.
Either way, this is a good way to utilize wine corks without having to throw them out or compost them. If you need a pin cushion or two, this idea makes a lot of sense.
Final Thoughts
You’ve learned that wine corks can be placed in compost bins. You can only do this if you have a natural wine cork that hasn’t been painted.
There are also wine corks that are made from synthetic materials. These wine corks can be recycled by placing them in the appropriate recycling bin.
You can recycle natural wine corks as well. However, these usually have to be taken to special recycling centers that take wine corks.
If you don’t want to compost natural wine corks, you could use them for other purposes. You can turn them into pincushions or make them into refrigerator magnets.
There are better options than simply throwing the wine corks in the trash. If you don’t like throwing things away unnecessarily, it’s better to compost, recycle, or reuse the corks.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys, and I’m so excited to start this adventure with them! In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.