With circular economy and sustainability increasingly shaping consumer behaviour, an Amsterdam startup has developed a new clothes hanger which it says will bring circularity to a product most people consider mundane at best.
Arch & Hook's new Mission-E hanger, launched during the GlobalShop event in Chicago, is a 100% recyclable plastic hanger made from up to 100% recycled materials.
The product, according to Gertjan Meijer, CCO at Arch & Hook, lasts five to 10 times longer than single-use plastic hangers, whose recyclability is less than 20%.
“The common hangers are made of polystyrene, whose quality degrades during recycling,” explained Meijer, adding that Mission-E hangers are made of “high-quality” thermoplastics and were less brittle compared to their regular competitors.
Another contributing factor to Arch & Hook’s circularity is its global logistics network.
Arch & Hook launches recyclable hangers for sustainable fashion
Gertjan Meijer
While ordinary hangers are usually thrown away due to their low quality, Arch & Hook’s are collected via clients and recycled through partners, Meijer explained.
Targeting high-fashion, hospitality, and large-scale retail, Mission-E hangers are customisable by brands who can choose the body shape, surface look & feel, clips and finish colour.
Two globally recognised high street retailers and a boutique luxury hotel chain have already signed up to incorporate Mission-E hangers in their business, according to Meijer.
Arch & Hook currently manufactures its hangers at its own facilities and via manufacturing partners in China and Europe. The company is ramping up production within its European operations.
Just officially launched, production capacity for Mission-E hangers currently stands at around 20 million pieces a year, but Meijer expects the figure to rise to 100s of millions over a five-year span.
“Brands are the early adoptors for sustainable solutions, more than retailers. But we can see that this is a topic for many retailers and brands and the industry has really opened up.
“They [retailers] have already swapped the plastic bag a sustainable solution and our product is sort of the next step,” Meijer added.
In the US alone, about 40 billion imported plastic hangers end up in landfills every year, according to Sjoerd Fauser, founder and chief executive officer of Arch & Hook.
“ Brands need to know that there is an accessible, beautifully designed, economically friendly solution to put an end to the production of harmful products in retail, by investing in long-lasting, sustainably made hangers ,” added Anne Bas, co-founder and creative director, Arch & Hook.