apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Greenheart Global is the maker of the Ditto Hanger Line. They are focused on bringing ecologically intelligent and highly designed products (meant for everyday use) to the mainstream consumer.

We found an interview with Greenheart Global's CEO Gary Barker where he has the following to say about why they choose to produce hangers:

"It’s a neglected and ignored product. No one sees them, but the waste is astounding. We estimated that 8 billion hangers are landfilled every year. That’s enough to fill all 102 floors of the Empire State Building 4.6 times…every year. We estimate that 85% of the hangers produced are landfilled."

Once in landfills these billions of hangers leach dangerous chemicals into our ground water, chemicals such as Benzene a known carcinogen and hormone disruptor Biphenyl-A into the ground water. Ditto Hangers solve these industry-wide problems by designing hangers made from the most widely recycled materials in the world: Recycled Paper (80-100% PCW) and PET Plastic (min 70% PCW). By choosing these two vastly different materials we provide an alternative for both the retailer and the home consumer.

Although the company sells to retailers around the world, they also willingly sell to the home user as well. The minimum order is a case (Typically 60, 100 or 200 hangers per box depending on type of hanger) and can go up from there. If you don't happen to require that many hangers for your own home, check with friends or family who might be willing to order with you. You may contact the company to inquire about ordering and prices from their website and don't forget to recycle your old hangers or list them up on Craigslist/Freecycle for others to use.

Links: Ditto Hangers, How to Order, More about their practices