Although we prefer traditional wood and metal clothes hangers, our budget dictates a closet full of plastic ones from Target. But we're always looking to reduce our use of plastic items for environmental and political reasons. So we're enthused about the prospect of these Earthsaver clothing hangers, made from 100% U.S. grown corn.
posted originally from: AT:LA
The unusual shape is attributed to a new a "heavy shirt" design that supposedly holds clothing better than conventional hangers. For $3.50 for a set of five at Walmart (neither Merrick nor Walmart have additional information about the product, nor are they available online for purchase), these are neither prohibitively expensive nor the 99 cent bargain bin variety, but there is some debate of whether these hangers are even ecologically sound as a recyclable:
Corn based plastic is only compostable in municipal composting facilities with temperatures that reach 140º for 10 consecutive days, an environment not possible in home composting.
Most of the country does not have municipal composting programs.
Should bio-plastic get into regular plastic recycling it will foul the entire batch and render it unrecyclable.
If bio-plastic is not composted in a landfill will last as long as oil based plastic (1000+ years).
Corporate agriculture methods have some of the highest toxicity rates from pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers.
Sadly the time is not right for this new material. We hope in the years ahead, however, that it will be.
Gary Barker
President
GreenHeart Global
www.greenheartglobal.com
[via Sustainable is Good]
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
Just an editorial consideration...
Considering the HUGE caveat that you provide about bio-plastics and corn-based productions...
Perhaps your headline could be more nuanced about the potential downside - as it is...if a reader doens't look much further it could be perceived as a whole-hearted endorsement of the product.
view JenPDX's profile
Hey, I just found some amazing Bamboo Hangers at Target!
view skinnydipnyc's profile
I buy sets of 10 (or is it 12?) wood hangers from Linens 'n Things for $9.99 (even less if I use the 20% off coupons they constantly send me). In the 10 years I've used them, I've never had to replace one, and I anticipate them lasting well into the future.
view WendyInIndy's profile
Aren't we concerned about the dominance of corn, though? Or have I taken the wrong message away from The Omnivore's Dilemma?
view carrier's profile