Hooks Creative – a Dutch company based in The Netherlands – has produced a fully biodegradable clothes hanger, made entirely of CO2 absorbing raw materials. The BioHangers are produced from renewable and reusable produce, such as potato starch, corn, beetroot or various types of grass, with the aim of revolutionising the fashion industry.
Long seen as dragging its heels when it comes to the environment, with this launch the fashion industry can now take huge strides in making the industry more sustainable. This will hopefully see the end of an era in which billions of clothes hangers are dumped every year in landfills.
Encompassing two years of research, and working in collaboration with sustainability professionals, the Dutch company set itself a number of challenges. For example, oil and iron, normally used for the hanger hook, was out of the question. Instead, renewable sources such as grass, and reusable ones such as coffee grounds, were used.
Furthermore, local production was a must. The product had to have a significant contribution to making the fashion industry greener. “We can now put an end to the gigantic Co2 emissions by sea freight from Asia,” says Arjan Kaan, CEO of Hooks Creative. “Because the clothes hangers can be produced worldwide at any desired location, we can cut out pollution by transport emissions. The hanger is therefore Co2 neutral during the production process, transport, and in its disposal.” If it eventually ends up in the environment or on a landfill, it will compost completely. The BioHanger can also be produced in any desired shape.
“All parts of the clothes hanger have a sustainable origin, so that it can be completely composted or recycled at the end of its life,” continues Kaan. “We herald a whole new era with the introduction of the compostable clothes hanger. Finally we can help make the fashion industry constructively sustainable.”