Can You Recycle Clothes Hangers

The answer to whether you can recycle your hangers is dependent on a number of factors, including who provides the curbside recycling and trash service in your area, as well as what material they are made from.

Can wire hangers be recycled?

It’s not as simple as it seems to recycle metal (wire) hangers. You can’t throw away those metal hangers that you don’t need in your single stream recycling bin. Recycling machines are used to sort recyclable materials. Wire hangers, especially those with a large hook, can cause the machinery to get stuck. Most curbside recycling services don’t want wire hangers. Many recycling services will only accept cans made of aluminum or steel.

Wire hangers are acceptable in New York City’s single-stream recycling bin.

What can you do with wire hangers if you can’t recycle them?

Recycle wire hangers in a variety of ways

You can still find some excellent options for extending your wire hangers’ usefulness.

1. Take them to your local dry cleaners, where you got them.
2. Dry cleaners must buy a large number of wire hangers, over 3 billion per year. Most dry cleaners will gladly accept used wire hangers from their customers to save some money. Check around to see if there is a dry cleaner that accepts used wire hangers. Most would be happy to receive the hangers and welcome your business.
3. You can donate them to consignment or thrift shops.
4. The majority of clothing donated to thrift shops is folded or loaded into boxes. To sell the clothes, thrift shops must hang them to display them. You can donate hangers for free with other items.
5. Some, such as the Salvation Army don’t accept metal hangers. They only want plastic ones. Call them first. Some, such as Goodwill, will not accept any hangers. (We’re unsure where they obtain the hangers that they require.
6. Bring them to a recycling center for scrap metal or a scrap dealer.
7. Metal recycling centers will accept all kinds of scrap metal. Metal hangers and other non-recyclable items can be dropped off at these recycling centers. Although some facilities that specialize in recycling “hard-to-recycle” materials charge for recyclables, most accept metals and wire hangers free of charge.
8. Wire hangers are accepted by scrap metal dealers, but it is not worth the time and effort to search for a dealer. You can drop off your wire hangers at the local recycling center.
9. Be creative
10. Coat hangers are great DIY tools. They can be used to create custom hangers to hold projects to dry. We use a twisted-wire hanger at the end of a pole to install our outdoor holiday lighting and remove it every year. This has been in use for more than 10 years!
11. These wire hangers can be used for arts and crafts in schools and daycare centers.
12. Make your own landscape staples from old wire hangers. They are the perfect gauge and can be bent easily into shape.

Innovative Ideas for Wire Hangers

The Spruce offers some creative ways to put those old wire hangers into use. There’s always the classic wreath to hang on your door. The article also includes some clever ideas, such as making a strainer that can be used only once for projects which would otherwise ruin your kitchen strainer.

Even if you cannot recycle wire hangers there are many ways to use them.

Can plastic hangers be recycled?

Plastic hangers are more difficult to recycle than other plastics. Plastic hangers are not usually recyclable by curbside recycling services or recycling centers.

It’s important to call to confirm that you can recycle plastic clothes hangers. New York City is one of the exceptions.

Plastic hangers are not usually marked with a recycling code, so it’s hard to tell if the plastic is recyclable. Hint: They’re not.

Plastic clothes hangers are typically made from low-grade plastics such as polystyrene and polycarbonate (6 and 7 recycling numbers). As they are low-quality plastics, they are usually bundled with styrofoam for recycling, since it is not recyclable. Recycling services won’t allow you to recycle plastic hangers.

There are many other ways to put those old plastic hangers into good use and not waste them.

What are the best options for recycling plastic hangers?

1. The best thing to do is not to take the plastic hanger in the first instance. You probably don’t want it, but most department stores ask if you do. You can decline the hanger, saving you from having to dispose of it and the store not needing to purchase more.
2. You can return your hangers to Target if you bought them there. They accept their hangers, but not those from other stores.
3. If your dry cleaner accepts them, you can get rid of plastic hangers in the same way as with wire hangers. Check around and see if another dry cleaner accepts hangers if your preferred one doesn’t.
4. You can donate them to consignment or thrift shops.
5. The majority of clothing donated to thrift shops is folded or loaded into a cardboard box. Thrift stores must hang the clothes to display them in order to sell them. You can often donate hangers for free along with other items. Some, such as the Salvation Army only accept plastic hangers. Call them first. Some, such as Goodwill, will not accept any hangers. (We’re not certain where they obtain the hangers that they require.
6. Be creative
7. Check with local schools and daycare centers to see if they have coat hangers that can be used for art projects. Plastic clothes hangers may not be as versatile for DIY projects as wire hangers, but they are safer for children.

Can wood coat hangers be recycled?

Wooden hangers are not recyclable. Wood hangers can be a problem, even though wood is usually compostable. Wood clothes hangers almost always have a varnish coating to prevent splintering. Wooden hangers cannot be composted because painted or varnished wooden is not compostable.

Donating wood hangers to a consignment or thrift shop, or to a daycare or school for art projects, is your only option.