Corkor (vegan cork leather belts from Portugal)

Corkor is a quality Portuguese brand, which makes use of local cork, to fashion gorgeous belts for men and women, to accompany their other items like bags, wallets and passport holders.

Donate unwanted belts to small charity shops (that don’t test on animals). Frayed or stained ones can be deposited in textile banks (materials are shredded to make insulation and other industrial goods). 

Many people wear belts, whether it’s to hold their jeans up or to finish off a smart look with a suit and tie. But  rather than choosing brands made from leather (often made in countries with poor animal welfare laws) or plastic (supports the oil industry and contributes to pollution and climate change), choose ones made from cork or sustainable vegan leathers.

Cork has a similar texture to leather, and does not require trees to be chopped down. The bark is simply stripped from trees in the Mediterranean every nine years.

Keeping the cork industry alive (in a world of plastic wine corks) is important, as it stops forests being chopped down for industry, which in turn keeps forests protected, for local wildlife to feed and shelter.