An Australian retailer, Best&Less, hopes to lead a change for the Australian retail industry by replacing plastic clothes hangers in stores with cardboard versions.
The company introduced the Enviro Hangers at all of its 185 discount apparel stores, including online, for its Baby Berry Organics product range last year in a trial to assess consumer reaction and their practicality instore.
“They were selected as they are good for the environment and allow customers to put them out with paper recycling,” a spokesperson from Best&Less told Viable.Earth.
Last month, hailing the trial a success, the company decided to expand their use across all products “and hopefully lead the change for the retail industry”. The move is part of a goal to ensure all of the brand’s packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
The current plastic hangers Best&Less uses are also recyclable, however the company is aware that most waste plastic ends up in landfill anyway.
The spokesman says the Enviro Hangers compete with plastic hangers on price, strength and style. They were awarded the gold medal in the Home Zero Waste category of the Australian Non-Toxic Awards last year.
So durable are the paper hangers, customers can take them home and use them in their wardrobes. Otherwise, the hangers can be reused or recycled in stores, with the ultimate goal to recycle them into paper bags for use at points of sale.
