We’ve covered the nasty cheap plastic good-for-little coat hangers you get given (usually whether you want them or not) at clothes stores but Elizabeth Phelan wants to know about other types:

I have lots of wire hangers and nicer quality plastic hangers (not the ones they give you from the retail stores). Do you know where I can take them to have them recycled or reused?

I’d see if the local charity shops could use the better quality ones and I’d keep some wire ones around the house for those emergency prodding and poking situations that require a sturdy bit of thin wire – but that wouldn’t be suitable for Elizabeth’s “lots”.

So any suggestions? Elizabeth lives in Northern California so location specific recycling points would be great – but if you know somewhere outside that locale, feel free to add it in case it’s of use for someone else.

(Photo by Capgros)

Wire coat hangers? Easy peasy of course; I often find myself craving wire coat hangers just so I can reuse them – perfect stiff but malleable wire for all sorts of household and garden uses, as well as craft stuff.

But plastic ones from shops? With those, I’m at a loose end. The vast majority of clothes I buy are super casual t-shirts & tops but the shops always try to insist I take the hangers too even though the t-shirts have “I will live in a drawer” stamped all over them (well, not literally. Except on that one shirt).

Knickers too. Who on earth hangs knickers up apart from shops? Those hangers are the worse because they’re so flimsy you can’t even reuse them as hangers around the home.

I always say ‘no, thanks’ when asked about hangers – and try to mention it if they don’t ask – but I don’t always get a chance and so we have a surplus around the house. I’m also rather sceptical about what happens to, particularly the flimsy ones, when left in the shop: am I just leaving it from them to throw away instead of me?

Sigh. So any ideas? Anyone know of any recycling companies collecting clothes hangers? Any reuses or upcycling ideas?

(Photo by Capgros)