MISSION
Nomacorc is continuously implementing improvements in its operations and company culture to minimize impact on the environment. The company’s intent is to ensure consistent, taint-free wine preservation by providing closures that embody the best possible combination of quality, performance and sustainability.
BENCHMARKING
In 2007 Nomacorc retained an independent agency to conduct an audit of the carbon footprint of Nomacorc closures (calculated at 16 grams per CO2 equivalent) and in 2008 retained a recognized institute to conduct a complete lifecycle analysis (LCA) which provides a more detailed assessment of the environmental implications of Nomacorc’s operations and insight into opportunities for further improvement.
NEW PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS
The company’s most recent product innovation, Nomacorc Classic+, launched in 2008, provides a 20% reduction in most environmental indicators compared to earlier Nomacorc products. In the first ten months of 2009 the shift to the Classic+ product resulted in a reduction of 1,872 tons of CO2 emissions (the equivalent of 4.5 million miles of driving an average U.S. car). 
Since 2008, Nomacorc has collaborated with suppliers and distributors to increase the amount of raw materials and finished products that are shipped via intermodal transport. In the first ten months of 2009, this shift resulted in a reduction of 297 tons of CO2 emissions in the U.S. (the equivalent of removing 235 cars from U.S. highways). The company has also developed methods to increase the number of closures that can be shipped per load, lowering the total number of shipments required which in turn eliminated another 75 tons of CO2 emissions to date in 2009. The company also increased the amount of bulk shipments coming in and going out of the manufacturing facilities as well as reduced the weight of selected packaging materials.
RECYCLING OF PRODUCTS AND MATERIALSNearly all of the water used during manufacturing of Nomacorc closures is recycled or reclaimed and 100% of waste material created by the Nomacorc production process is recycled and converted to industrial products.
All Nomacorc closures are 100% recyclable with LDPE materials (US RIC 4). Because 90% of the environmental footprint of Nomacorc closures is due to raw materials used, every closure that is recycled has a corresponding 90% reduction in environmental impact. To facilitate higher rates of recycling of closures by consumers, wineries, and restaurants, in 2009 Nomacorc joined forces with TerraCycle®, a company which collects post consumer use materials across the United States and “upcycles’ the collected materials into unique products sold at major retailers. Nomacorc has also developed a retail partnership program which encourages major wine retailers to support the recycling effort by providing convenient locations for consumers to deposit their used closures. Almost 400,000 wine corks have been recycled in the first months of the program.
