Plastic hangers one of fashion's biggest eco issues - report

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Nov 13, 2020

Plastic hangers are very bad for the environment. That’s a 32-page report conclusion on their usage in the UK clothing market by sustainable hanger producer Arch & Hook.

While 82% of those surveyed for the report said sustainability was decisive in the purchase of commodities, only a “staggering” 15% of those cited recyclability as a consideration for hanger selection, it claims.

Additionally, 68% of fashion companies interviewed are unaware what type of plastic(s) their hangers are made from - making it difficult or impossible to recycle them.

Other findings suggest that only 5% of fashion companies deliberately dispose of the plastic hangers they no longer require, but it is not always clear what happens to unwanted hangers, despite the intention to reuse and recycle them.

Other key UK findings include: plastic hangers used per year in the UK clothing market add up to 954.6 million; plastic hangers sent out in online clothing orders total 82.6 million; those used solely for the transportation of clothing account for 16%; unit sales of clothing with an associated plastic hanger are 60%.

“Hangers remain a largely overlooked area of environmental impact in the industry, despite 60% of all clothing sold being associated with a plastic hanger”, report co-authors Dr Alana James and fashion consultant Emma Reed said. “For nearly a century now fashion has had an unhealthy reliance on the use of plastic, with 65% of all garments currently produced being made from synthetic fibres”.

They added: "Awareness of how many hangers are discarded is really low in retail, especially for the in-transit phase . Fashion professionals are simply not clued up on the answers."