Cork: not just the barrier between you and a glass of wine. It’s also the superstar material that wellness brand Meg (aka Modern Exercise Goods) is using to re-imagine exercise tools. Environmentally friendly, recyclable, biodegradable, naturally occurring, cheap, light (the list goes on), cork has an impressive CV of benefits that gives Meg their eco-edge.
Since (multiple) lockdown(s) forced us all to be a bit more resourceful when it comes to health and wellness, at-home exercise equipment became a bigger market than ever before. In the US, sales of fitness equipment shot up by 55% once the first lockdown was announced. Meg’s products are perfect for at-home use and their focus is on recovery equipment – so rollers, roller balls and yoga blocks – a market which they spotted was in need of a makeover.
Not only are typical foam rollers made of EVA foam and PVC plastic, materials which are derived from crude oil, basically un-recyclable and destined for landfill, but they’re also just a bit ugly. By using cork, Meg’s products are made from a material that is 100% biodegradable, 100% natural and derived from the bark of cork oaks so there’s no need to cut down trees in production. As a bonus, they’ll look nice in your living room.
Cork is not only a great sustainable alternative to foam and plastics, but it also suits exercise equipment very well as it’s durable, naturally anti-microbial but easy to clean and so lightweight. Forget about the foam rollers of the past. Cork is the future.