HangerNetwork's "Eco-Hanger" is made entirely out of thick recycled paper, which is folded into a clothes hanger shape then glued and laminated. The company bills the hangers as strong but flexible, and plays up their quick decomposition.
"3.5 billion wire hangers go into U.S. landfills every year, and they sit in there for over a hundred years," said Bob Kantor, CEO of HangerNetwork.
The company mass-produces the Eco-Hangers and distributes them for free to dry cleaners in its market cities. The hangers are distributed free to encourage dry cleaners, who normally pay 8 cents apiece for wire hangers, to order them and send them home with customers.
This latter part is not just important for ecological reasons; HangerNetwork makes all its income from selling ad space on the Eco-Hangers. Because consumers bring the hangers into their homes, and because clothes hangers stay in the closet an average of six to eight weeks, they provide a highly efficient advertising medium.
According to Kantor, HangerNetwork is already making "multimillions" in ad sales. Companies that have purchased ads so far include Dunkin' Donuts, L'Oreal, Mitchum and Van Heusen. The company also recently received $8 million in venture capital from Kodiak Venture Partners and Sigma Partners, which it is using to pay for the costs of the nationwide expansion.
The hangers appear to be growing in popularity. Cleaners Supply, the largest dry cleaning supply distributor in the United States, has a link on the front page of its web site where dry cleaners can order the free Eco-Hangers or request more information.
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