If you need to clear out old coat hangers from your wardrobe, recycling is a great disposal option to go for!
You can’t dispose of your old coat hangers in your blue bins. However, there are lots of other ways to recycle coat hangers that are equally sustainable, easy, and effective.
By opting for these methods, you’ll be giving your coat hangers a second life and a new purpose rather than contributing to landfill waste, which is increasingly polluting the environment.
Find out how you can bid farewell to old coat hangers in lots of different ways in this helpful guide.
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Recycling Different Types of Hangers
Coat hangers are made from a few different materials, each of which needs to be recycled differently. We’ve rounded up the most common materials that coat hangers tend to be made of:
- Metal Coat Hangers: Metal coat hangers are the cheapest type of hanger, which is why so many people have them lying around. They are usually made of steel wire. Luckily, steel is among the most recycled metals in the UK, so you’ll have few problems finding somewhere that accepts your metal coat hangers.
- Wooden Coat Hangers: Because of their durability and tasteful look, wood coat hangers are super popular, making them pretty common. Lots of recycling centres accept wood coat hangers but may not accept extra components, like screws or hooks. It’s worth taking your wooden coat hangers apart and separating any other materials before donating them to prevent refusal.
- Plastic Coat Hangers: If you’ve gone on a shopping spree or collected clothes from the dry cleaners, you’re likely no stranger to a plastic coat hanger! These hangers are often dished out as freebies to customers, making them among the most common types to come by. They’re typically made of polystyrene or polycarbonate, two plastics that are widely recyclable, making them fairly easy to get rid of.
Places You Can Recycle Old Coat Hangers
Coat hangers are made of a bunch of materials that lots of places accept, so you won’t have much trouble finding somewhere to take them off your hands. Here’s an overview of the best places to recycle your old coat hangers:
Drop-Off At Your Local Recycling Centre
If you have a bunch of coat hangers, you can pop down to your local Household Reuse and Recycling Centre to get rid of them.
Your local centre may have a designated space just for hangers. Otherwise, it will likely have three separate containers for plastics, metals, and wood. In this instance, you’ll need to separate any components that make up your hangers, like screws and hooks, if they are made of multiple materials.
Be sure to check your local council’s recycling rules and requirements before heading over to your nearest Household Reuse and Recycling Centre to see what they will and won’t accept.
Donate To Charity Shops
Charity shops are always on the lookout for more hangers to hang up all the donated clothes they receive. You can bundle your unwanted hangers together and drop them off at your local charity shops. It’s important to note that they likely won’t accept your hangers if they are dirty or damaged, so always double check them before donating them.
This is a great way to get rid of your hangers while also paying it forward and helping out a charitable cause!
Give To Dry Cleaners for Reuse
Lots of dry cleaners take in used hangers and repurpose them for their business, so it’s worth ringing up or popping in and enquiring. You can often return hangers that your dry cleaners have given you too.
By giving your neighbouring dry cleaners free hangers, you’ll be freeing your home of clutter while helping out local businesses, saving them the expense of buying more hangers.
Deposit At Retail Chains
Some retail chains accept used hangers. Some may only accept hangers being returned from their shop, while others might accept any used hangers. They usually accept them as part of an incentive scheme that could land you a discount on your next purchase, so it’s worth checking with your nearby shops.
Drop-Off At Supermarkets
There’s a bunch of supermarkets dotted around the UK that invite people to hand over their used hangers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer. They usually either have drop-off points in-store, special self-service tills, or designated counters for customers to donate their unwanted hangers.
Some supermarkets might offer coupons or discounts in return for hanger donations, which can save you an extra penny or two on your groceries while relieving you of your unwanted hangers!
Recycling Vs General Waste: What Method Is Better for Disposing of Coat Hangers?
There are so many reasons why recycling is a better disposal option than throwing out your unwanted hangers with general waste. While it might be more convenient to chuck your hangers in your black bin and forget about them, taking the time to recycle them at the right place poses so many benefits.
By recycling your coat hangers, you’ll be contributing to a greener and cleaner future. That’s because recycling keeps materials in rotation rather than ending up in landfills, which cause pollution.
Different types of recycling methods also pose their own unique benefits. For example, if you donate your hangers to a charity shop, you’ll be supporting local programs and charitable causes. And, if you hand your hangers over to retail shops or dry cleaners you’ll be helping local businesses out by saving them the expense of buying new clothing hangers.
A Final Thought
By making the effort to recycle your old coat hangers, you’ll be part of a better future for the planet and local businesses!
With so many recycling methods available, coat hangers are pretty easy to responsibly dispose of. From your local recycling centre to charity shops, there are many easy ways to get rid of your old and unwanted coat hangers while avoiding landfills and contributing towards a greener, cleaner environment.
Aside from being an environmentally sustainable choice, recycling your old coat hangers also supports local businesses, like your nearest dry cleaners or clothing shop.
