Corticeira Amorim SGPS S A : Corkeen, an innovative, ecological and sustainable fall protection system for playgrounds and leisure and recreation spaces, is implemented in Monsanto Natural Park.

Corkeen - a company owned by Corticeira Amorim - has just inaugurated the first site in Portugal to use the Corkeen system, in Monsanto Forest Park, in close partnership with Lisbon City Council and FL Gaspar, which is overseeing implementation of the project.

Produced with cork, a 100% natural, recyclable and renewable raw material, Corkeen is a revolutionary solution of impact-absorbing surfaces for playgrounds, and leisure and recreation spaces that has strong safety, accessibility and sustainability credentials, harmoniously combining the concepts of Community, Nature and Planet. Installation of the Corkeen system, associated with ecological reformulation of the Playground in the Monsanto Interpretation Centre, is part of the programme of Lisbon Capital Verde Europe 2020.

Developed using circular economy principles, the Corkeen system results from full use of waste from the cork industry. The energy used in the production process derives from biomass (cork powder). All materials will be reusable at the end of the product's life cycle. Corkeen is light, odourless and hypoallergenic and is installed in situ as a two-layer system (an impact-absorbing base layer and a wear-resistant top layer) - which enables it to preserve its unique characteristics, even after years of use. The Corkeen surface has an excellent drainage capacity and lowers the surface temperature by more than 20% compared to synthetic solutions. It offers state-of-the-art technical performance based on rigorous safety standards (EN1176 and EN1177). The Corkeen system is weatherproof, easy to maintain, rotproof, flameproof and elastic and also reduces the spread of microplastics.

Corkeen is free from all types of chemical products (heavy metals, EDC, T-VOC, formaldehydes or HAPs) and is ecological, cumulatively and always benefits from the unique characteristics of the unique raw material of cork. Use of cork helps reduce CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere, combatting the rapid process of climate change and promotes a greener, healthier and more sustainable planet.

Corticeira Amorim's Chairman and CEO, António Rios Amorim, underlines 'cork's unparalleled properties that endow Corkeen with a set of exclusive advantages in the playground market. Children can walk barefoot, the impacts of all typical falls are absorbed, and the surfaces do not emit any noxious substances for children's health. Corkeen also improves the quality of life in public spaces, in urban centres and in cities'.

Lisbon City Council

After several projects implemented in northern Europe, namely in Sweden and Norway, the Corkeen system has been used in the children's playground in Monsanto Interpretation Centre (Espaço Monsanto) that was created in 1996 to manage the maintenance, recreation and leisure activities of Lisbon's biggest park. The playground has approximately 90 m2 and its reformulation involved replacing the former SBR rubber tiles with the Corkeen system, while maintaining the existing wooden fence and installing new equipment made using wood from sustainably-managed European forests.

The project is part of Lisbon's programme as European Green Capital 2020. Lisbon is the first Southern European country to gain this distinction, which results from the evaluation by international experts of a set of 12 indicators that aimed to assess the sustainability of Portuguese capital. Announced in 2018 by the Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the award recognises the work that Lisbon has developed over the last decade to become a more ecofriendly city.

José Sá Fernandes, Lisbon City Council's Councillor for the Environment, Green Structures, Climate and Energy underlines 'the priceless value of this innovation from Corticeira Amorim in building a more sustainable city, which must be replicated in future projects'.

Corkeen Brand Master

The design of this playground was developed and implemented by the company, FL Gaspar, the Corkeen Brand Master in Portugal. FL Gaspar is the system's exclusive representative in Portugal and is a partner of recognised experience in the installation of playgrounds and leisure and recreation spaces, with broad knowledge of the market, its evolution and new trends, with technical expertise, commercial capacity and a creative, multidisciplinary approach.

Fernando Gaspar - FL Gaspar's CEO - highlights that 'the quality of life in an environmentally conscious city involves the provision of innovative high-quality and proximity recreational spaces, across the urban fabric. In such spaces, it is particularly important to maintain universal accessibility and low maintenance requirements. With Corkeen flooring solutions, we can now combine these principles with circular economy principles, comfort in Southern European sunshine, using a natural raw material that is eminently national and is a source of great pride for Portugal.'

Certified to provide training about the Corkeen system to other installers in its geographic territory, FL Gaspar has a firm commitment to inclusive solutions as a way forward for Recreational Landscapes. FL Gaspar has already implemented over 2000 interventions in recreational spaces in various different countries. With the Corkeen system, it aims to consolidate itself as a leader in the development and implementation of solutions that will increase the quality of life in cities, based on sustainable, artistic and recreational interventions.