With recent initiatives by people aimed at reducing the negative impact on the environment, many businesses are making strides to be as eco-friendly as possible. There are many moves you can make when running a store to cut back on adverse effects to the world, and when your customers see your efforts, they’ll appreciate what you’re trying to do. Some of the changes could even save you money in the long run, such as switching to energy-efficient light bulbs in your store fixtures or better insulating your walls to lower your heating bill in the winter. However, all the plastic found in stores hampers any goals of sustainability. Luckily, there are ways to cut back on that unnatural material and replace it with something more green.
Hangers upon hangers
In clothing stores, store racks are lined with countless hangers, usually made from metal or plastic. At the end of their life, however, those hangers will end up in the trash. As they very slowly break down, they’ll release toxins into the ecosystem around them.
There’s a way to cut back on the plastic you use with your hangers by replacing them with a more eco-friendly alternative. Hangers made from bamboo or sugarcane are comprised of a blend of wood and plastic that offer a solution to the cold plastic and metal of their counterparts. Natural differences in the fibers of the wood will also make each individual hanger unique. Customers will value the earthy feeling of these new hangers, especially around spring time when everything outside is coming back to life. It provides a link to the outdoors that shows your store cares about its place in the world.
You don’t have to replace all of your hangers at once. The process can be gradual as you slowly phase out the older hangers, possibly recycling them to further reduce their harm to the environment. Start by converting sections at a time until all of your departments are sporting this fresh and down-to-earth style.
The big picture
When you start incorporating the wooden hangers, you can make them a part of your larger spring theme by weaving nature into your store displays too. These additions won’t have to go away after you switch designs either. The look and feel of them will bring a quality your older plastic and metal hangers could never have. Customers will enjoy sifting through your selection just to feel the grooves of the wood.
