New Playground in Brooklyn Made from Recycled Corks
You read that right—a playground made with cork! Kids in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Marlborough House are about to enjoy a unique play area constructed from, well, 400,000 recycled wine and champagne corks. It’s a first for New York City!
On Wednesday, the grand opening of Village Vibes took place. This new outdoor space is built from corks collected from various restaurants throughout the five boroughs. It’s, honestly, a pretty creative way to repurpose materials.
Pauley Jenkins, the president of the Marlborough Residents Association, jokingly suggested that perhaps more people should drink wine and champagne, given how useful those corks turned out to be.
This initiative is especially interesting because the Gravesend Community, which is the city’s first municipal entity to partake in this project, has benefited from the Cork Collective’s efforts. This nonprofit gathered almost 400,000 corks, donated by local bars, restaurants, and hotels, giving them a new lease on life.
Once collected, the corks are sent to a recycling facility in Wisconsin for cleaning, crushing, and reforming into blocks and cylinders. Quite the process, isn’t it?
While many contributed to bringing this playground to life, the NYCHA community played a crucial role. Kids from NYCHA homes even submitted their design ideas, which inspired the layout of Village Vibes.
The paths in this playful space feature vibrant neon yellow equipment, including pull-up bars, benches, and interactive installations designed by The Urban Conga. It’s definitely a lively and engaging spot for both kids and teens.
Moreover, cork has some advantages over traditional materials. It’s less toxic, heat-resistant, and doesn’t get as hot as plastic or rubber during sweltering days. During this recent heat wave in the city, a member of the Cork Collective, Nazri Parvij, pointed out that cork actually feels cooler than the air temperature. Imagine that—rubber can be more than ten degrees warmer!
Parvij highlighted that this project spotlights the need for safer, more eco-friendly playgrounds. It’s all about using materials that are kinder to people and the environment.
Besides being a free project for residents, it gives them a sense of importance. Natasha Franklin, a program coordinator at Marlboro Cornerstone, mentioned that the Marlborough area often feels overlooked, adding, “Our job now is to make sure they realize we are here too.”
