Legacy Hangers: Helping Retailers Move Away from Single-Use Plastic

For decades, plastic hangers have been a standard part of retail operations. They are used across apparel supply chains, distribution centres, stockrooms and store environments because they are familiar, practical and cost-effective.

But retail is changing.

Brands and retailers are under increasing pressure to reduce unnecessary plastic, improve the sustainability of their operations and make more responsible choices across every part of the product journey. That includes areas that are often overlooked, such as garment hangers.

Legacy hanger systems may still work operationally, but many retailers are now asking whether there is a better alternative.

Why traditional plastic hangers are being challenged

Plastic hangers have historically been used because they are durable, lightweight and easy to produce at scale. However, they also create a major sustainability challenge.

Across large retail estates, hanger volumes can be significant. When hangers are damaged, discarded or treated as single-use items, they contribute to plastic waste and increase the environmental impact of retail operations.

For retailers with clear sustainability targets, this creates a gap between day-to-day store operations and wider brand commitments.

Reducing plastic is no longer just about packaging. It also includes the operational items used to move, display and present products.

A more sustainable approach to garment presentation

Sustainable hanger solutions offer retailers a practical way to reduce plastic use without compromising the in-store presentation of their products.

Paper-based hangers can provide a more responsible alternative for brands looking to align their visual merchandising, logistics and sustainability strategies.

The goal is not simply to replace one product with another. It is to help retailers move toward a more considered hanger solution that supports both operational performance and environmental responsibility.

Why paper hangers make sense for retailers

A well-designed paper hanger can support the same key requirements retailers expect from traditional hangers, including product presentation, usability, consistency and durability.

For retailers, the benefits can include:

• reduced reliance on plastic
• improved alignment with sustainability goals
• strong visual presentation in-store
• lightweight and practical handling
• suitability for branded retail environments
• support for plastic reduction initiatives
• a clearer sustainability message for customers

When designed correctly, paper hangers can be both functional and visually effective.

Supporting the full retail journey

Hangers are not just used at the point of sale. They are part of a wider retail process.

They may be used during production, transport, distribution, store replenishment, merchandising and customer-facing display. Any sustainable hanger solution therefore needs to work across the full retail journey, not just look good on the shop floor.

This is where practical design matters.

Retailers need hanger solutions that can support operational realities while still delivering a better sustainability outcome.

Sustainability without compromising the store experience

Customers increasingly notice the details of how brands operate. Store environments, packaging, displays and product presentation all influence how a brand is perceived.

A sustainable hanger can help reinforce a retailer’s commitment to responsible choices, particularly when it is visible within the customer journey.

For brands that already invest in sustainable materials, ethical sourcing or responsible packaging, hangers can become another part of that wider story.

The result is a more consistent message across product, packaging and presentation.

A practical step toward plastic reduction

Large sustainability programmes can sometimes feel complex and difficult to implement. But meaningful progress often comes from improving individual areas of the operation.

Replacing legacy plastic hangers with a more sustainable alternative is a practical step that retailers can assess, trial and scale.

It gives businesses a clear opportunity to reduce plastic while maintaining the functionality needed in-store and across the supply chain.

Designed for modern retail

Sustainable hanger solutions need to be more than environmentally responsible. They need to be retail-ready.

That means they should support:

• product display
• garment presentation
• operational handling
• brand consistency
• store team usability
• customer experience
• practical rollout at scale

The best solutions are those that make sustainability easier to adopt without creating unnecessary complexity for stores or supply chain teams.

Final thoughts

Legacy plastic hangers have played an important role in retail for many years, but retailers now have an opportunity to rethink how products are presented, transported and displayed.

Sustainable hanger solutions offer a practical way to reduce plastic, support brand commitments and create a more responsible retail environment.

For retailers looking to make measurable progress on sustainability, the hanger may seem like a small detail.

But across a large retail operation, small details can create significant impact.