Arch and Hook unveils marine plastic hanger

Arch and Hook, the world's leading and only sustainable hanger brand, launches Blue, the first-ever hanger made entire of marine plastics, as it looks to continue to offer a 100 percent recycled, fully closed-loop alternative to source plastic for hangers.

The new Blue hanger debut at London Fashion Week and have been made from “plastic soup,” a mixture of plastic and other waste harvested from the four most polluting rivers in the world that cause 90 percent of ocean plastic pollution, according to the World Economic Forum.

The combination of materials, collected in the world’s most polluted areas, is sorted and separated, shredded, transported, and prepared as raw material to make the modular design hangers that feature notches and add-on bars and clips so it can be used for any garment, in any combination.

In addition, at the end of their lifespan, Blue hangers can be collected and remade into hangers, “over and over again”, added the brand during a press briefing.

Sjoerd Fauser, founder and chief executive of Arch and Hook, said: “At Arch and Hook we strongly believe that we are in the early stages of a new industrial revolution. Cleaning up what humanity has caused is crucial before eliminating plastics entirely.

“We can’t sit back and let someone else handle the problem any longer. If we continue to abuse plastics, by 2050 it is estimated there will be more plastic, by weight, in our oceans than fish. The time to act is now.”

Arch and Hook launches Blue modular hanger made from marine plastic waste during LFW

The move is part of Arch and Hook’s commitment to provide sustainable alternatives for the billions of hangers that end up in landfill each year due to the ‘garment on hanger’ transport stage of fashion retail distribution, which is one of the most polluting stages in the apparel lifecycle.

This unknown, unseen stage is when garments are transported from factories to stores, before being discarded for branded front of house hangers. It is estimated that 150 billion garments are produced globally every year, according to the Journal of Cleaner Production, however, there are currently no figures available for hanger production, on a local or global level.

If just two-thirds of these garments use ‘garment on hanger’, this would mean that an estimated 100 billion hangers are used annually for this stage alone. The majority of these hangers are used once and 85 percent will end up in landfill, taking more than 1,000 years to degrade.

To celebrate the new marine plastic design, Arch and Hook were supported by London-based French designer Roland Mouret and the British Fashion Council, who have issued a letter of intent to apparel companies in the UK inviting them to “switch to Blue”.

On collaborating with Mouret, Fauser, added: “I was introduced to Roland at the end of 2017, in a big old bank vault in London. We both believe in the power of design and creativity as the main drivers of innovation. We connected instantly on the fact that our planet is what we have in common, and that sustainability is in our hands.”

Mouret added: “Sustainability is going to bring people together. I was very fortunate to meet Sjoerd from Arch and Hook. Together we’ve found a solution for the future of the fashion industry. Opportunities are or will be available - fashion has to come together to take action. We’re grateful to the BFC for allowing us to meet.

“Single-use plastic has too much presence in luxury life. We designers have a responsibility to change that. By coming together and using our creative talents, I really believe we can make a difference.”

To support the Blue launch, Arch and Hook has made a film with Ridley Scott Creative Group, called ‘Fashion’s Dirty Little Secret’ to raise awareness of hanger pollution in the fashion industry, starring model mafia activist Nimue Smit wearing sustainable couture designs by Ronald Van Der Kemp.

Arch and Hook was founded in Amsterdam by Fauser and Anne Bas in 2015, and is now providing game-changing innovation in the global hanger industry, catering to the retail, hospitality and luxury goods industries. The Dutch company believes that the clothing hanger can be sustainable both from an ecological and an economical point of view.

Images: courtesy of Arch and Hook