• The CORK2CORK programme is a sector-pioneering sustainable development initiative developed by the Group in conjunction with the leading producer of cork and cork materials, Amorim

• Since its launch in 2011, the project has collected used cork bottle stoppers across 77 of the Group's establishments for recycling and reuse for cladding and insulation purposes at other NH hotels

• This recovered cork has been transformed into around 8,000m² of floor and wall coverings which have been used in refurbishment work and the construction of new hotels


Under the umbrella of the sustainable development programme dubbed CORK2CORK, NH Hotel Group has collected 1,994 kilograms of cork bottle stoppers across the 77 Group establishments participating in this initiative. These two tonnes of natural cork were sourced from the bottles uncorked since the start of the project at the participating hotels, which are located in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium and Netherlands and have been collecting for recycling and reuse in the refurbishment of existing hotel properties and the construction of new NH hotels.

In 2011, NH Hotel Group became a pioneer in the European hotel sector when it launched this initiative, developed in conjunction with the world's leading producer of cork and cork construction materials, Amorim. The goal of this initiative, which is part of the Company's commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, is to recover and recycle the bottle stoppers uncorked at its hotels in order to give them new life, by converting them into construction and insulation materials. The volume of cork recovered as part of this project has been used to produce 8,000m2 of wall and floor coverings, which is equivalent to the amount needed to refurbish or build over 300 hotel rooms.

"We are very proud of the excellent results yielded by the CORK2CORK programme with which we have not only helped to give new life to a product such as natural cork but have also promoted care for the environment vis-à-vis our internal and external stakeholders", says Mónica Chao Janeiro, Director of Environmental Management and Sustainability at NH Hotel Group, going on to add that, "the warm welcome for this initiative coupled with its magnificent results encourages us to continue working in this direction and look into projects which imply environmentally-responsible practices within the realm of our business activities".

"The support of a hotel chain as prestigious as NH Hotel Group, which understands the performance attributes and environmental benefits of cork and disseminates them to its guests across Europe's biggest cities, has been very good news not only for Amorim, but for the entire cork value chain and Mediterranean cork oak forest acreage, which is hugely important in Portugal and Spain", according to Carlos de Jesus, Director of Communication and Marketing at Amorim.


Natural cork given new life at NH's hotels

Natural cork is a material which, duly recovered and reprocessed, can be reused to make wall and floor coverings and powerful insulation materials which reduce buildings' noise pollution and artificial heating and cooling requirements, thereby making them more energy efficient.

In addition to these construction applications, recycled cork can also be used to make numerous products, including products for the aeronautics, fashion and furniture industries.


About Corticeira Amorim

Founded in 1870, Amorim is currently the largest producer of cork products in the world. It spearheads the entire sector, contributing to development and innovation in the cork industry unlike any other player.

Its signature is found on the most unlikely objects, such as Olympic sports equipment, high-profile architectural projects around the world, state-of-the-art road and rail projects, spacecraft, etc. Meanwhile, in terms of contemporary creation, it challenges designers, scientists and architects to explore and exploit the endless opportunities offered by cork.

With more than 20,000 customers and annual sales of over €500 million, generated in 103 countries, Corticeira Amorim and its subsidiaries are part of an international movement working to protect and conserve millions of cork oaks across the western Mediterranean basin. For more information about Amorim and natural cork, please visit www.amorim.com and www.wicanders.com.


About NH Hotel Group
NH Hotel Group (www.nh-hotels.com) is Europe's third-ranked business hotel chain. It operates close to 400 hotels with almost 60,000 rooms in 28 markets across Europe, the Americas and Africa, including top city destinations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bogota, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Munich, New York, Rome and Vienna.

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