Green gauntlet: A hamper for all those hangers

Most times, when I tell my extreme eco friend, Sylvie Verdant, about a purported new "green" product, there's at least room for debate.

But when it came to the Hanger Hamper, she shut me down cold.

As I described it -- a triangular bin that folds "for easy storage" and then will hold 100 hangers -- she began to fix me with a steely glare. Then she began sputtering.

"Come on Sylvie," I said. "At least hear them out."

According to the Hanger Hamper folks, approximately 3.5 billion wire hangers are discarded in landfills each year. So clearly, we should all save them and take them to dry cleaners or some such, right?

But to do this, do we really need a Hamper?

I picked up the press release and began to read: "Instead of awkwardly shoving unused hangers into a laundry bag to return to the dry cleaner, the Hanger Hamper allows for easy storage, transport and unloading of the hangers. The convenient strap handles of the Hanger Hamper make it easy to carry and return collected hangers to the dry cleaner."

"Oh, the poor dears that have to deal with excess hangers," Sylvie mocked. "And 100 at a time? Gimme a break!"

I suspect Sylvie doesn't think we need hangers anyway. I saw her bedroom once, and in the corner was a clothes tree. As in TREE. It was dead branches with clothes draped on it. And she certainly isn't one to buy clothes that need dry cleaning. Washable hemp and bamboo are Sylvie's stylistic staples!

"Just how much does this Hanger Hamper cost?" Sylvie demanded to know.

"Nine ninety-five," I answered weakly.

"And they're using resources to make this item to store things that people are only going to get rid of?" she continued querulously.

I cringed. She had a point.

While I go make Sylvie some chamomile tea so she can calm down, we both want to hear YOUR thoughts. Please share them by posting a comment below.

Just try not to antagonize Sylvie any more than she already is!