We all know how much the plastic bags we use to bring our shopping home damage the environment. But have you ever wondered where the clothes hangers you use to hang your clothes came from, and moreover, the effect these hangers will have on the environment?

Wannabeco’s new ‘Becohanger’ aims to solve that quandary.

The Becohanger is a 100% recyclable and biodegradable clothes hanger. Its aim is to replace the conventional wire coat hanger found in every household across the UK distributed predominantly by dry-cleaners and commercial laundries.

"We have worked with British dry-cleaners to design a product that is environmentally sound and strong enough to do the job," said Toby Massey, Head of Design and Operations at Wannabeco. He adds, “These dry-cleaners have been striving over the past few years to reduce their carbon footprints and become more ecologically friendly”.

The Becohanger doubles up as an media space, offering brands and services a geographically flexible and ecologically friendly advertising platform.

"Each year 100 million wire coat hangers are put into UK landfill where they take centuries to degrade - it is this we are trying to prevent," said Alexander Beattie, Head of marketing at Wannabeco.

"We have worked out a way to alleviate this problem as well as provide an innovative and ecologically friendly media space for our advertising clients".

How it works:

* The Becohanger is distributed through Wannabeco’s large network of dry-cleaning companies and laundry services.

* Advertising is printed on each side of the hanger with eco-friendly ink.

* Advertisers buy the media space allowing Wannabeco to manufacture and supply its networks.

* The Becohanger unlike the incumbent wire coat hanger breaks down naturally at no cost to the environment.

* The material is also recyclable and can be reused.

Brands who have worked with Wannabeco to date include the O2 and a number of premium drinks brands and career break firms.

“I was attracted to running a Becohanger Campaign because of the uniqueness of the product; it receives immediate interest from the consumer. Also I could geographically target those areas relevant to our brand”, said Richard Philip, Brand Manager at the O2.