Arch and Hook warns that “hangers are the plastic straws of the fashion industry"

Arch and Hook, the world’s leading and only sustainable hanger brand, has released a 32-page report on plastic hanger usage in the UK clothing market as it looks to uncover the truth about pollution in the fashion industry, especially the consequences of plastic hangers on the environment.

The research was undertaken by Dr Alana James, senior lecturer in fashion at Northumbria University and recognised fashion consultant Emma Reed, who anonymously surveyed apparel businesses spanning multiple market sectors, ranging from high street to luxury and e-commerce to sportswear to determine the number of plastic hangers used throughout 2019 in the UK clothing market.

The UK was chosen as the initial starting point of the research due to the consumption of new clothing being the highest in Europe at 26.7 kilograms per capita.

This produces a staggering 954.6 million plastic hangers each year within the UK clothing market, which equates to just over 4 million times the height of Big Ben. While plastic hangers sent out with online clothing orders is 82.6 million, the equivalent length from Amsterdam to New York.

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

Arch and Hook releases first-ever research on the consequences of plastic hangers on the environment

The report also reveals that there is a “distinct lack of awareness” about the widespread disregard for hanger toxicity and composition. With the research stating that 80 percent of hangers used are made of plastic, however, 68 percent of fashion companies surveyed stating that they were not aware of the composition of their plastic hangers, which makes it “difficult or impossible to recycle them”.

“The hangers most frequently used by retailers are made of polystyrene, whose quality doesn’t withstand transportation and degrades during recycling,” explains Arch and Hook founder and chief executive Sjoerd Fauser.

Other findings suggest that only 5 percent 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.

The survey adds that 35 percent of fashion companies said their hangers were either all or mostly recycled, however, the report notes that in some instances recycling means collection by the hanger supplier.

The in-transit hangers, described in the report as the “often invisible and unaccounted for” is a cause for concern. While some retailers do not use plastic hangers in their stores, they do use plastic in-transit hangers, with 148.2 million used per year in the UK clothing market, with 16 percent of UK plastic hangers used solely for the transportation of clothing.

This is a particular problem within the luxury clothing sector where 31 percent of plastic hangers are used purely for transportation and only 50 percent of hanging stock retails in-store on the hanger on which it was transported.

“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,” added Emma Reed.

UK clothing market uses 954.6 million plastic hangers each year

When UK senior fashion professionals in roles such as buying and merchandising, product development, supply chain and corporate responsibility were asked about the role sustainability plays in the purchase of commodities in their clothing business, 82 percent of survey participants said that it is either important or extremely important. Only 5 percent said that is not a consideration.

However, this is partially contradicted by the survey answers to a question about the main criteria for choice of hanger - as 35 percent voted for functionality, while 25 percent indicated that the main consideration is price and only 15 percent of those cited recyclability of the hanger as the main consideration for its selection.

The report does note that they faced research challenges and limitations as the sample group involved in the survey was small, with the researchers stating that this was due “to the specialist knowledge required”. But they also added that more than 100 suitable participants were invited to take part but only 20 fully completed the survey.

It does also add recommendations saying that there needs to be an increased choice of alternatives to plastic hangers. With functionality being the main factor affecting hanger selection, recyclable hangers should be made available in a full range of hanger types, shapes and sizes to ensure that they adequately meet demand.

Cost is also an important factor affecting hanger selection and the only way it states to get lower-cost sustainable alternatives is an increased interest as that would drive volumes up and prices down.

“Our eye-opening report is just the tip of the iceberg. Data for worldwide hanger usage remains unavailable,” said Fauser. “We are determined to expand the research into other areas, in collaboration with more partners, to unveil the truth, create awareness and turn sustainability into a tangible action.”

Arch and Hook, founded in 2015 in Amsterdam, was launched to provide “game-changing solutions to the global hanger industry” with the belief that the clothing hanger can be sustainable both from an ecological and an economical point of view.

Its Blue and Mission-E programmes combine recycled and recyclable materials to create durable hangers, as well as hanger recollection operations, to provide sustainable alternatives to the billions of hangers used in transporting and displaying clothing every year. Arch and Hook also provide wooden hangers made from FSC certified wood.

Images: courtesy of Arch and Hook