Abstract In this article the authors analyse the characteristics, properties and behaviour of a new composite material, called Core-Y, resulting from the combination of granular cork and an epoxy resin. This article comprises three main parts. The first describes the manufacturing process of Core-Y. The second develops an experimental study of the material based on quasi-static axial compression test on cylindrical specimens of Core-Y. The results of the experimental tests are presented and analysed and the essential mechanical properties are determined. The third part presents a study of constitutive and numerical modelling, based on the experimental results. The main objective of this numerical study is to analyse the energy absorption capacity of metallic tubular structures incorporating Core-Y, aiming to study new applications for this composite material. A numerical model to simulate the tubular structures tested experimentally is developed, implemented and validated, using the finite element analysis software Abaqus. The overall results anticipate interesting expectations in terms of lightweight cork based composite materials and systems.