Thousands of corks now going to good use—not land fills! And more are on their way.

It wasn't just the wines that caused a stir at this year's Food & Wine Classic in Aspen—it was the wine corks!

Napa-based Cuvaison Estate Wines, long known for its commitment to sustainability, kicked off its nationwide cork recycling program in Aspen by collecting more than 5,000 corks.

"Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response from 'the Classic' we know we’re on to something special," said Cuvaison President Jay Schuppert.  "Once people saw our cork recycling boxes and burlap sacks, they went out of their way to make sure their corks came to us instead of the garbage.  We kept hearing 'it's about time' and 'great idea' – we couldn't be more pleased."

All of the corks collected will be shipped to Yemm & Hart a recycling company that converts cork into self-sustaining products.  Natural cork is 100 percent recyclable and can be turned into useful everyday products such as flooring tile, building insulation, shoe soles, fishing rod handles, bulletin boards and even soil conditioners.

Schuppert and Cuvaison Winemaker Steve Rogstad will be attending many of the top food and wine events throughout the year to collect corks and continue educating the public and industry about cork recycling and its benefits.  Custom-designed recycling boxes produced by Cuvaison will be placed throughout each event.  Key restaurants are also lending their support by displaying the Cuvaison recycling boxes and collecting natural corks.

"At Cuvaison we’re concerned about climate change and we feel compelled to do what we can to reduce the winery's impact on our environment," said Schuppert.  "Going solar and being certified Napa Green are the most visual and obvious initiatives, but that’s just a start.  We continue to look into the little but significant ways of creating change within our own organization and through grassroots networks with our staff, families and friends."