Is It Possible To Recycle Metal Clothes Hangers? ♻️

by Ian Guenn Tayao

Recycling, waste disposal, Waste Management 0

Can Metal Clothes Hangers Be Recycled? ♻️: We all know that clothes recycling is possible, but what about hangers? In this blog, we will tackle and debate whether we can recycle metal clothes hangers – and other types of hangers – or not. Read on to learn more.

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Is it really possible to recycle metal clothes hangers?

Hangers are one of the most important and indispensable items to have in your respective homes. People, rich or poor, use them all over the world. You should take a look at my wardrobe, full of second-hand, unused hangers!

I know you have them, too. It is good and all to have extra stock of hangers if we ever decide to buy new clothes. But if in case you want to dispose of them, is recycling them a viable option? Let me discuss this in the following sections.

Why the need to recycle?

Like any other material, too much is not good. This is to save up more space in landfills, among many other reasons. And hangers are no exception.

Did you know that people all around the world buy and sell 8-10 billion plastic and metal – or wire – hangers each year? Furthermore, only 15 per cent of that is ever recycled. They even stated that those hangers can fill up the Empire State Building in New York 4 times! Imagine that number; that will make anyone stop and think, right?

Hard to tell

Like a sneakerhead determining the legitimacy of his second-hand Jordans, it is also difficult to establish whether or not you can recycle metal clothes hangers. But aside from this, I will also discuss the other types of common hangers used all around the world.

Generally speaking, many recyclers despise recycling hangers – whatever their type is – because of their awkward shape. That is because they tend to cripple the machinery at the recycling facilities due to their small size and unique – maybe even weird – shape.

Metal hanger

Metal or wire hangers are generally made from steel with a little bit of plastic coating to prevent them from rusting. Due to it having steel, some recycling centres will take them. But there also exist other recycling facilities that will refuse them because of their weird shape which may get them stuck in the recycling equipment used.

Before you get all excited and compile your metal clothes hanger to be recycled, check first with your local council. As I have stated, some will accept them while others will not. It pays to communicate, after all. Other reliable websites such as Recycle Nation may also instruct you to do certain modifications to your hangers before putting them on your kerbside collection. If they have anything wrapped in them like paper, cardboard, or other materials, remove them first.

Other types of hangers

Now that you have discovered that metal clothes hangers can be recycled in some facilities, also read our blog on Tetra Pak recycling and other interesting blogs!

Going back to the main topic, there are also other types of hangers aside from metal or wire ones. This includes plastic and wood hangers.

According to Recycle Bank, most plastic hangers are made of either #6 plastic (also known as polystyrene) or #7 plastic (also known as polycarbonate). Additionally, some are even made from #5 plastic. They are not recyclable, even the ones made from #5 plastics.

What about wooden hangers? Answer: the same as the plastic ones. You cannot recycle them. Even if they are wood-based, many of those types of hangers are usually covered in varnish, making them difficult – impossible, even – to recycle.

Them basically being unrecyclable is the reason why so many go to landfills. So, what should we do to help reduce hanger pollution? Let me discuss it with you.

What to do with metal clothes hangers, along with other types of hangers, that cannot be recycled?

Simply put, if you got your hangers from dry cleaning services, return them. If possible, return them immediately. Or if you have collected them over the years and are trying to finally get rid of them, give them back to the dry cleaners. More often than not, they are more than happy and willing to have them back.

Another thing you could do is reuse or repurpose them. You can turn them into art, towel racks, or any other type of stuff. Additionally, you can also use them to hang not just clothes but any other items like jewellery, art materials, key chains, and others. Use your creativity!

Give them away for free on Freecycle. Or if you know any neighbours, relatives, or other close family members; donate your hangers to them, instead. Not only does it make you feel good to help, but it also helps your less fortunate loved ones and neighbours save up more money. And it declutters your home, too!

Take note, if you’re asking questions like “can you recycle wire hangers for money?” the answer is usually no. Do not expect recyclers to pay you even if they accept your bulk metal clothes hangers or other hangers you want to be recycled.

So can metal clothes hangers be recycled?

Now we all know the difficulty of recycling hangers. Metal clothes hangers or any other types of hangers cannot be recycled easily. If anyone you may know has any questions regarding this topic like “where to recycle hangers?”, “where to recycle plastic hangers?”, or the like, just send them this blog.