Upcycled clothes hangers from milk cartons

Milk cartons are multi-layered packaging. Consisting of 6 layers of durable materials, each piece of carton takes up to 500 years to decompose. In Vietnam, there are about 10-15 billion milk cartons produced but with a collection rate not exceeding 5%.

Meanwhile, despite their direct link to the textile and fashion waste, clothes hangers are often overlooked in this high-impact industry. Every year, 8 billion plastic hangers are discarded equivalent to the mass of four Empire State Buildings. These hangers are usually buried in landfills or incinerated with household waste, causing severe environmental issues, especially textile and plastic waste.

Plastic hangers made from Polyester or Polycarbonate are toxic when released into the environment. Since 65% of apparel products and accessories are composed of synthetic plastic hangers, recycled hangers would then serve as a gateway for the fashion industry to fulfill its environmental pledges.

Leveraging from these insights, Lagom Vietnam has sparked an innovative idea: Upcycling milk cartons to clothes hanger. Beyond a waste reduction solution, this initiative is a major step in creating eco-friendly products. From the very first steps, our Lagom team has spent days and nights researching ways to upcycle leftover milk cartons into valuable products. This has led to the birth of Ecohanger, created to craft changes and dedicated to a better environment.

Successfully upcycling milk cartons into the Eco Hanger is a part of Lagom’s effective solution to environmental issues. Our product aims to elevate a large amount of disposed milk cartons through applying cutting-edge technologies to upcycle waste into useful items. By using a single recycled hanger, you help divert 35 milk cartons from landfills and utilise resources more efficiently.

4 Outstanding Features of the Eco Hanger

Versatile design, suitable for various clothes types

Eco Hanger is designed to hold various garments and styles. From shirts to silk dresses or pants, it can neatly hang your clothes without slipping or wrinkling, optimising closet space and garment lifespan. The Eco Hanger is a smart, versatile solution for modern homes. This item enable you to arrange your wardrobe with ease and enjoy a more comfortable, organised living space.

Anti-slip Grips

Small grooves on our eco hook would prevent clothes from slipping out, which is particularly useful for slippery fabrics like silk or satin. This feature not only helps garments maintain their shapes but also saves you repeatedly adjusting to desirable clothes' shape.

High Durability, withstand harsh weather

Recycled from the poly-aluminum layers of milk cartons, the product is robust and survives harsh weather conditions without degrading over time. This can save you a considerable cost when replacing new clothes hangers and keeping minimal waste release to the environment.

Circular Life Cycle

Eco Hanger is the first product of its kind in the world that can be re-recycled. Users can return broken or aged hangers to Lagom Vietnam collection points and see the rebirth of their hangers into new products, keeping waste away from the landfills.

Objective

Lagom thrives to become a pioneering enterprise in collecting and recycling multi-layer and low-value packaging in Vietnam. The company holds an intention to lead changes in community perspectives and action, building a sustainable future where everyone can join hands to protect natural resources and live in harmony with nature. This also represents the long-term objective of the Eco Hanger and similar product lines by Lagom Vietnam.

Through the Eco Hanger, Lagom Vietnam believes in setting waste on the right path by ensuring proper collection and recycling, driving the correct path by correct waste managment, minimising plastic waste and protect the environment for future generations. It serves as a firm commitment to deliver sustainable solutions and educate the community on environmental consciousness through innovative programs and projects.

With the message "Green on your Shoulder," every Eco Hanger serves as a reminder of sustainable consumption habits and lifestyle. Whether it is choosing to buy a sustainable, waste-reduction product or a disposable plastic item, it all depends on your choice. Therefore, opting for an upcycled item is also your contribution to a green, waste-reduction lifestyle.

Implementation process – Scope – Cost

Milk cartons are the main material to craft upcycled eco hangers. Lagom Vietnam has carried out milk package collection programs across schools, residential areas and grocery stores. The upcycling project was executed under the following primary stages

Building the collection network

Location: Since 2019, Lagom has established over 2,000 collection points across schools, offices, apartments and factories as well as attracted many participants from students, teachers to local people in the community.

Facilities and support: Collections points are equipped with collection devices and setup along with training for proper waste classification, collection and storage

Education programs: Lagom concentrates on raising awareness, helping students to actively acquire knowledge and form positive habits. Our events would enable students and locals to understand the true intention of upcycling and proper waste segregation at source, serving for our process.

Data collection and management

Data collection and management: All our collection activities are tracked in real-time via the Lagom collect platform, ensuring transparency and efficiency while reducing physical paperwork.

Logistics and material separation

Upon collection, cartons are sent to mills and prepare for separation.

Here, they will be sorted into two components:

• Paper pulp (75%): Used for stationery and packaging
• Poly-aluminum mix (25%): Processed using advanced technology into Lagom Polyalu material

Eco Hanger Production from Lagom Polyalu

Closed-loop upcycling process: Lagom not only utilise every possible component of the milk carton but also ensures a closed-loop upcycling process, minimise waste during production. Products derived from Lagom Polyalu can be recycled multiple times, creating a circular and sustainable recycling cycle.

Utilising from Lagom Polyalu, the company manufactures the Eco Hanger - each unit is upcycled from 35 milk cartons, reducing reliance on virgin plastics and promoting sustainable consumption. Compared to conventional hangers made from virgin plastic or metal, this eco-friendly hanger boasts superior features: it is lighter, more durable, flexible, and environmentally friendly. Using this product is a conscious solution to reduce plastic waste and make the most out of recycled resources from current waste streams.

Quantitative Results

Nearly 1,000 tons of milk packaging has been collected in the past 5 years. The upcycle process has significantly raised awareness and formed waste-sorting habits for millions of children and communities across Vietnam. This is a foundation to scale up the collection campaigns in the residential, industrial areas and grocery stores to reduce waste.

Qualitative Result

• 2,000 community points
• 1,000 tons of collected milk cartons
• 1,000,000 children get to learn and practice waste sorting habit
• 30 accompanied partners

The release of Eco Hanger has received positive responses from consumers and the market overall. Our products are highly praised by professionals and consumers. In 2022, the Eco Hanger won an innovation award from the SEPT Innovation Center (Germany). The product was selected by seven leading Vietnamese clothing enterprises for garment display at an international innovation entrepreneur fair in Germany, receiving high praise from guests and visitors.

The journey of Eco Hanger serves as a testament to Lagom Vietnam’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development. By transforming discarded milk cartons into smart hangers, Lagom has contributed to waste reduction and generated new value for the community.

The success of the Eco Hanger is not only a result of relentless RnD efforts from our team but also a reflection of the trust and support from our users. The company believes that with continued cooperation, Lagom will carry forward its growth and deploy more eco-friendly solutions, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.