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Hangbags Give Shopping Bags Another Use (Aside from Taking Up Too Much Space Post Shopping Spree)

By erika - November 22, 2013

in Sustainable Design

Paper shopping bags are one of those we unintentionally collect in our homes, reuse one or two times to transport lunch to work and toss when the recyclable pile gets in our way. The reminders to recycle the bag after use are helpful, but they aren't as effective as anyone would like them to be (read: they won't spring legs and walk themselves to the recycling bin). But a team of designers from India has designed a kind of paper shopping bag you won't want to toss to the trash.

Hangbags are paper bags that are transformed into hangers with a few twists and folds in an attempt to replace plastic versions. The video below shares some shocking facts: Over 1 billion paper shopping bags are used every year and only 1% end up in the recycle bin where they rightly belong. On the flip side, over 8 billion hangers are left to the landfills each year—with each hanger taking over 100 years to break down. After that guilt trip, how could you not want to take it down a notch on your plastic hanger use?

The bags come with the hanging hook attached and with printed instructions, but the bag must be folded down to create the "arms." The video makes the assembly seem pretty fool-proof.

I can see this majorly taking off on college campuses where shopping bags take up too much precious dorm space and hangers are just another annoying trip to the local Target. What do you think—is this something you would use?

While it seems like this product is still in the prototyping stage and unfortunately doesn't have a website, you can contact the designers through email.

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j

11 years ago

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I agree. I wouldn't use this hanger - it wouldn't be good for the clothes. I bring re-usable bags whenever I shop so I avoid the extra bags piling up.
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C

11 years ago

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Glad to see they bring up the stats.. Maybe the solution relies on removing the bag from the system. Or change the system in someway to allow for the bag to become more easily recycled.

Designing a bag that has to go through a process to become a sorta useful object seems like a bigger drag then just throwing it in a recycle bin.

Designers need to start really thinking outside of the box here. These band-aid solutions are really just starting to become nothing more than novelties.
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Betsy Ryan

11 years ago

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Quite ingenious, however...
Hanging expensive clothes on this hangar could result in tears and holes. Also, some stretchy clothing my result in having 'shoulder bumps' from the squared off shape on the ends.
I, for one, wouldn't use them, but I would pass them along to a thrift store. :-)
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