Come and see the great new POP Displays at Global Shop in Chicago
APRIL 6, 2013
Ditto will be showing their revolutionary and sustainable Point-of-Purchase Displays at Global Shop 2013! Stop by and say hello and get some very cool handouts!
Gary Barker, CEO of Acterra Award Winner Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions, will be keynote speaker to discuss the evolution from businesses making "things" to building "value". The Lokey Graduate School of Business conference celebrates the new economy of socially responsible businesses doing well by doing the right thing.
Saturday, April 4, 2013
1-4pm
Lokey Graduate School of Business
Mills College, Oakland, CA
Acterra 2013 Business Environmental Award Given to Ditto
Award is given for the Ditto Hanger for Environmental Innovation
MARCH 19, 2013
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions has won the very prestigious Acterra 2013 Business Environmental Award for Environmental Innovation for the Ditto Hanger.
The Award is given for Ditto's Ecological Hanger and Sustainable Retail Displays. The Acterra Committee noted Ditto as an "extraordinary example of sustainable design & business model.
First awarded in 1990, the Acterra Business Environmental Award is one of the Bay Area’s oldest and most prestigious environmental recognition programs. It is considered a heavyweight among environmental business award programs due to its rigorous application and judging process.
Ditto will be honored at the 2013 Business Environmental Awards Reception on Thursday, May 30th at Intuit Corporation in Mountain View.
For information regarding the other award-winning programs, please visit www.acterra.org/bea.
Ditto Founder, Gary Barker, is being featured on The Wendel Forum.
MARCH 11, 2013
Ditto founder & CEO, Gary Barker, will be interviewed on Green 960 KNEW on Saturday, March 16th at 9:30 on The Wendel Forum. Barker be talking about green issues surrounding the fashion industry and Ditto's work in replacing the 8.5 billion plastic retail hangers that go into the landfill every year.
You can also listen live streaming www.960KNEW.com or www.iHeartRadio.com with its phone app.
www.TheWendelForum.com
NEWS
Ditto Feature in Waste and Recycling News
Hanging On a New Commodity
JANUARY 25, 2013
One of Ditto's favorite reads, Waste & Recycling News, wrote a lovely feature article on Ditto and the work we're doing keeping plastic retail hangers out of landfills.
Los Angeles company, SpiritHoods, commissioned Ditto to design a sustainable hook that functioned both as a sales devise and for storing the hood at home. It's 100% recycled paper and is being offered along with all online sales. Got a Hood, but no hanger? SpiritHood is offering the Ditto Hangers for only $1 in their accessories page. What's not to love?
Ditto clients know we do much more than just hangers. Take Acorn Slippers, the industry leader in at-home and casual footwear. Ditto designed an entire line of recyclable hangers for their wide line of slippers and shoes. The Ditto hangers were a huge success and actually helped to increase sales.
This time Acorn wanted a bold, countertop Point-of-Purchase (POP) display to promote their new line of Travel Shoes. They’re goal was a display that not only communicated their sustainability initiatives, but visually fit with the hangers we designed for their shoes
The result is a dramatic and eye catching POP Display made from 100% recyclable and compostable paperboard. This unique display ships flat, assembles at the store and stores flat in small storerooms. The signage can be easily replaced for special promotions or new products. Incredibly strong, amazingly lightweight, the Ditto Display uses minimal material and show off the slippers like no other display can.
Acorn plans on launching the new displays in January of 2013. Stay tuned!
Modern life has tamed the wild beast out of all of us. That may be a good thing, but sometimes we feel like howling at the moon. Spirit Hoods were designed to bring back a bit of the savage beast. A unique line of animal inspired, faux fur hats and accessories, Spirit Hoods are fun, playful and take us back to the wilds--or maybe just a bit of our childhood.
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions is proud to be working with Spirit Hoods by designing a 100% recyclable hanger just as unique as the Spirit Hood attitude. Made out of 100% recycled paperboard, the Ditto hangers even compost back into the wild.
Ditto collaborated with four artists from San Jose and Oakland to raise money for 1st Act. With live painting, drawing and silk-screening these four artists inspired us and the crowd to realize how a sustainable design can spark powerful ideas.
The winners of our Ditto Art Hanger Raffle are:
Grand Prize Winner Albert | Art Hanger and carton of Ditto Hangers
Runners Up Diane Solomon | Ditto Art Hanger Brian Vierra | Ditto Art Hanger Dave Cassano | Ditto Art Hanger Jerusa | Ditto Art Hanger Albert Dick | Ditto Art Hanger Adam | Ditto Art Hanger Danilo Soriano | Ditto Art Hanger Ed Berger | Ditto 10-Pack Sue Seden | Ditto 10-Pack
Ditto would like to thank the SoFa District in San Jose for hosting this year's Sub-Zero festival and all the people who participated in the Raffle. Most of all we thank the great folks at Anno Domini for letting us get in touch with art.
Pictured (top to bottom): Rolando, Salvador "El Chamuco" Cortez and Chris Granillo
NEWS
NAPO and Ditto
APRIL 16, 2012
They're professionals that bring calm and order to our lives. They're not yoginis or psychiatrists. They're hard working members of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) [www.napo.net]. NAPO professionals get rid of the clutter and chaos of our every day lives and put things in their place.
Recently the Bay Area chapter of the NAPO discussed sustainability and the organizing process. Ditto Hangers were used as an example of how ecology and engineering an orderly life can intersect. Debra Baida of Liberated Spaces [www.liberatedspaces.com] wrote, "I touched on the topic of greenwashing and was asked how one can know if a company and their products are really 'green'. Oh, what a joy it was to pull out one of your (Ditto) Hangers and talk about sustainable design and how important it is to research and talk to the people behind the products we're curious about. My colleagues were amazed and got very excited when they learned they'd each get to take a hanger home with them. I love teachable moments! I thought I'd share the happy faces with you."
We love it too! Thanks Deb for the great photo as well!
Ditto will be participating with the Ian Somerhalder Foundation's "Let's Get Dirty" Benefit to be held on Saturday, April 21 in Los Angeles CA. Ditto will be donating their Environmental Ditto Hangers to be included in the VIP Gift Bags for celebrities and guests.
The Ian Somerhalder Foundation aims to join more than 2000 schools in a state wide effort to clean up local communities throughout the state of California on Saturday, April 21st, 2012. With support from cities, counties, local businesses, youth associations, schools, non-profit organizations and individuals, we do have the power to impact our planet. Uniting all regions in California, Let’s Get Dirty will become a landmark of community involvement, environmental leadership and consumer behavior consciousness.
Dreamlike, primortal, romantic and surreal imagery populate the urban artwork of Bay Area Artist, Chris Granillo. Known for his work with recycled and found materials, Chris used a Ditto Display as a canvas to create a work of art. The result is everything at once: a parallel universe perhaps of the living and the dead, the surface and the structure, reality and fantasy. Like the Ditto Display it takes something ordinary and everyday and transforms it to something unique and multi-layered.
Ditto designed Acorn hangers enhances brand, carbon footprint and profitability
MARCH 20, 2012
by Jo Rossman
Association for Retail Environments Magazine
By re-engineering point-of-sale slipper hangers, Ditto helped Acorn save substantially on shipping costs, differentiate the brand even in overcrowded stores, complement the product designs, and reinforce the company's sustainability message.
Before
The at-home and casual footwear brand used hangers made of paper and plastic. Formed paper inserts slid into the slippers to maintain their shape, while plastic armature held the forms together. Although they performed well, the hangers often ended up in landfills, were costly, and failed to reinforce brand positioning.
The use of recyclable materials did not achieve the recycling goal. Because the paper and plastic components were not easy to separate, the hangers were seldom recycled after use.
Shipping and storage expense was derived from the dimensions of the hanger, which took up excessive space and translated to shipping a lot of air.
And because the hangers couldn't intrinsically carry Acorn's sustainability message, they failed at supporting the positioning of a brand that strives for sustainability in its products. "The missing link in environmental messaging often occurs with the retail display," says Gary Barker, Ditto CEO. "Acorn recognized that the effort they'd made to create brilliant, sustainably manufactured footwear was being undercut by a retail hanger that wasn't easily recyclable.”
After
The re-engineered hangers meet functional and aesthetic needs, including adaptability. Four different sizes of paddles fit into two sizes of bases to accommodate slipper sizes from women’s 5 to men’s 17. Symbols indicate which paddles go onto which base, eliminating potential language barriers.
Shipping costs dropped dramatically with the ability to ship the new hangers flat. They’re assembled at Acorn factories.
The hangers’ sustainability quotient is significantly improved with recyclability that’s more than just theoretic, recycled content, and lack of toxicity. Made from 100% recycled paper with a minimum 70% post-consumer waste, the hangers are engineered to be extremely strong. Constructed from a single material, they can be recycled anywhere paper is recycled, including malls and department stores. The paper is tested to be free of chlorine, formaldehyde and heavy metal. And only soy-based ink and starch-based adhesives are used.
The hangers’ various seed pod forms visually express the Acorn brand, while each hanger's imprintable paper carries the Acorn logo. With 51% of consumers deeming sustainability important to apparel purchasing decisions according to a recent Miller Zell study, the in-store environmental branding has resonated with shoppers. The strongly communicated green packaging story gives Acorn a competitive advantage, says Sonya Purington, Acorn products marketing manager.
“Putting our slippers on an earth-friendly hanger was natural for us, our brand and our product,” she says. "Now the efforts we take in designing earth-conscious footwear is in line with the hanging devices used to display them at retail. We are tremendously pleased with the new hangers. Ditto's hangers stand by Acorn’s commitment to quality, and help us toward our goal of being as environmentally friendly as possible."
Adds Barker, "We worked with Acorn to design a display that spoke to their core values and was easily understood by their consumers. We're happy that Acorn's shoppers have responded favorably."
NEWS
Ils aiment Ditto!
JANUARY 23, 2012
French Style Magazine, Boutique2Mode, wrote a nice write up on Ditto Displays. Our French isn't what it used to be but it describes that there used to be several companies that made cardboard hangers but they were not well made and have gone out of business. Ditto Hangers are much better, hang the clothes without wrinkles and customers want to buy them from the store. They are green and that is also a big point.
Rid you store of toxic, nonrecyclable acrylic displays (and gain customers doing it)
DECEMBER 8, 2011
Acrylic displays are the bane of retailers. Why? To begin with they're extremely expensive, they're toxic and they can't be recycled in any way. 100% of all acrylic displays get tossed into dumpsters and into landfills-often after on use. They ship assembled and you pay to ship a lot of air. They break easily and they're not at all flexible or adaptable. They take up a lot of room in back storage rooms.
As if that wasn't all enough, what is the perception from your customers when you use toxic and nonrecyclable displays on your counters and throughout your store?
Fortunately there's now a sustainable choice that costs less and says more. The Ditto Display is made of the same, super strong, 100% recycled paperboard we use to make our Ditto Hangers. They cost far less than acrylic, ship flat, store flat and are customizable in any shape, size and layout. And they can be used over and over by simply replacing the rear signage board for new campaigns and products.
And it's great messaging to your customers, many of whom shop their convictions. It's positive connection that acrylic or plastic can't give. And it just makes sense.
Our 10" and 30" Gift Card Point of Purchase Displays for the GAP are a great example. They ship flat, are easily assembled at the store, and feature copy in English on one side for the US Stores and in English and French on the back side for Canada. It's a great look and speaks volumes to their customers.
Ditto also makes great countertop signage to replace the signboards made of acrylic. Get plastic, and acrylic out of your store for good.
PRESS RELEASE
How to Choose a Safe Children's Hanger
MAY 18, 2011
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions, the world's leader in 100% recyclable retail displays and 100% recyclable ecological clothes hangers knows that parents want safe products for their children. But what about the simple clothes hangers in your child’s closet? Hangers don't have ingredient labels - but they should! What are the hangers in your child’s closet made from? Looking closely shows that your child’s closet can contain a toxic stew of cheap metal and volatile chemicals.
"Hangers and dry cleaning bags are especially problematic in children's closets," said Gary Barker, CEO and founder of Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions. "Hangers can release organic compounds and a closet is essentially a hermetically sealed small room with no ventilation. Plastic and resin off-gassing is not dissipated and lingers in the closet becoming absorbed into a child's clothing.”
Metal wire hangers are made from low grade metal and sprayed with volatile organic chemical (VOC) resins containing benzene - a carcinogen - to keep them from oxidizing. Plastic hangers are made from up to 7 different types of plastics, many of which off-gas VOCs such as Benzene and Bisphenol-A, a hormone disruptor. Wood or bamboo hangers are no better with their oil stains and sealants that off-gas dangerous chemicals. Many of these compounds may have short and long-term adverse health effects. According to an EPA study (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html): "Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors."
"Selecting children's hangers that are safe to use is important," said James Patterson, consumer products safety advocate. "Hangers that are made of plastic are prone to snap and splinter. Those made of twisted wire, on the other hand, may have sharp edges that can cause injuries to a child. If the quality is low, they may also rust, becoming more of a hazard to children."
"We chose Ditto Ecological Clothes Hangers for Kid Dynamo because we wanted to promote the use of sustainable design, not only through the merchandise offered in our boutique but in our everyday practices," said Erin Carter, co-owner of Kid Dynamo. "Plus, the modern lines of the hangers look great and we get compliments all the time on our "cool” hangers!"
"Not only are our Ditto Ecological Hangers certified 100% nontoxic, they’re recyclable and even compostable," continued Barker. "Ditto Ecological Hangers do not contain heavy metals, chlorine, formaldehyde or off-gas dangerous chemicals or heavy metals. Parents who use our hangers write and tell us they use them for summer camps, storing kid’s clothing, traveling, and simple everyday use. Ditto Ecological Hangers are 100% safe for children!"
Ditto 10-Packs (in Elegant Black) Now in the Container Store
MARCH 16, 2011
Do you live in Little Rock, Miami or Paramus? How about Flatiron Crossing (CO), Tyson's Corner (VA) or Buckhead (GA). For those lucky enough to live near those locations, or 42 other cities and towns around the US, you'll find the revolutionary Ditto 10-Pack (in BLACK!) at your local Container Store. Click here for store locations.
Visit your local Container Store and ask the sales associate for Ditto! Take a picture of Ditto in your local Container Store and email it to us! We'll post it on our website with your comments! Fill out a review online and let the Container Store know you want more ecological products such as the Ditto Hanger in their stores. Spread the word to your friends and workers that sustainably designed products like Ditto Hangers are important.
Let's all work to save the world, one hanger at a time.
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions sales increase 63% Year to Year
The Container Store to feature Ditto's 100% recyclable clothes hangers, a huge account win for the Oakland, CA environmental retail and home products company
MARCH 1, 2011
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions, designer of sustainably manufactured display products for the retail industry and 100% recyclable clothes hangers for the consumer market announced the company's sales increased 63% year-to-year, and consumer sales of its hanger 10-packs soared by 175% on average each month. The company closed the month by signing an agreement with The Container Store, the original storage and organization store, to offer their 10-packs in all retail locations nationwide.
"The company has been quietly going about turning out the highest quality, best designed, 100% recyclable clothes hanger in the world and consumers have responded," said Gary Barker, Ditto CEO. "We've primarily focused on the retail market for the better part of our four years in business. Manufacturers like Adidas, O'Neill, and Acorn Footwear elected to use our displays because they communicate a brand's commitment to the environment off the shelf and - because customers elect to take them home with their clothing purchase - those brand values are reiterated each time the consumer pulls the garment from their closet."
Ditto has pursued direct-to-consumer sales through its own online store, Amazon.com and other retail partners. The company was initially contacted by The Container Store in 2008 when its sales strategy focused exclusively on clothing manufacturers. But as online consumer sales demonstrated that they had a hot product line, the search for a brick-and-mortar retail partner began in earnest.
"Partnering with The Container Store turned out to be an easy decision," said Barker. "They have a great reputation for merchandising and we're committed to working with them to make sure our Ditto hangers sell well in their stores."
The Container Store Merchandising team issued the following statement: "The Container Store is very excited to offer our customers Ditto hangers, a 100% recyclable clothes hanger. Available in convenient 10-packs, Ditto hangers are competitively priced and available at all of our stores nationwide and online."
Ditto Eco Friendly Hangers Review from Greener Ideal
FEBRUARY 24, 2011
Tiny Green Bubble posts a great review by Sue Kupka of Greener Ideal that suggests you get started on your Spring cleaning with Ditto Hangers. Check it out at here.
Green Retailing: Where Outdoor Wear Companies Lead, Fashion Follows
The market for sustainable clothing is growing rapidly as retailers respond to consumer demand
FEBRUARY 16, 2011
Ditto® Sustainable Brand Solutions, designer of sustainably manufactured retail display products is working with its factories to insure that they are able to fulfill demand, particularly from outdoor wear companies, early adopters in responding to consumer interest in high quality clothing that's made with the lowest impact on the environment. According to a recent report by Packaged Facts - the leading US publisher of market studies on consumer products - outdoor retailers lead all other categories in marketing to, and growing, their customer base for sustainable apparel.
"Maggie’s Organics was founded on the premise that clothing should be durable, affordable, and constructed of environmentally sustaining materials," said Amie Farkas, New Product Development Manager. "Maggie’s produces a line of great basic apparel, all made with Certified Organic Cotton or Certified Organic Wool. We're thrilled to display our clothing using Ditto's innovative, sustainable designs and feel that they complement our apparel line beautifully."
When did the movement that's led to the current market for sustainable clothing begin? In 1990, the Roper Organization identified the environmental consumer and broke the segment out according to education, demographic, and the degree to which people were willing to pay for products' environmental benefits. Thirteen years later, the LOHAS (Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability) consumer was defined by a National Marketing Institute consumer study and still drives consumer attitudes toward environmentally conscious buying practices.
National labels have also driven acceptance of sustainable apparel by identifying demand and marketing to a mainstream consumer audience. Patagonia, an industry pioneer, was engaged by Walmart for direction and counsel that will help the world's largest retailer further its goal to become the leader in green business. Not limited to apparel, Walmart is in the process of specifying the environmental impact and the health impacts of every single one of its products. If Patagonia’s support of Walmart translates into a successful reform of the business, then it will become a great example for other companies and show that the environment and business can be compatible.
"Growth in ethical clothing is being driven by consumer demand for fairly produced and sustainable goods," comments Katrin Magnussen, Senior Retail Analyst for Mintel, a leading market research company. "The participation of mainstream retailers is vital to extending awareness and availability and significant numbers of mainstream retailers now include organic and Fair Trade products in their ranges."
The market for sustainably manufactured clothing has extended beyond pioneering outdoor wear to include forward thinking fashion houses. GreenShows at NY Fashion Week feature a diverse talent pool of 10 eco-fashion designer collections celebrating the dynamics of au courant fashion combining environmental and social responsibility. NOW Showcase, a collective of emerging eco-talent in NY, introduced the fashion scene to many more up and coming cutting edge green designers. A strong market for sustainable clothing exists overseas. Mintel also reports that sales of ethical clothing has quadrupled to more than £175 million over the past five years, and The Independent, UK reports that Marks & Spencer will seek 25% of the materials used in its clothing lines from sustainable sources - including Fair Trade and organics - by 2015. Responding to industry trends, the British Fashion Counsel has expanded the number of cutting-edge sustainable designers showcased in its Esthethica fashion week event from 13 to 37 over the past nine seasons.
Can we live without plastic? Rodale is going to try and you can too
From Green Right Now Reports
JANUARY 25, 2011
Use recyclable hangers. Yes, hangers can be recyclable. Plastic hangers might have been an advancement over wire, which can get tangled and stretch out clothes in weird ways. But there's been further advancement. Ditto hangers are made from recycled paper and recycled plastic (but it's PET plastic, which is the most recycled plastic and not toxic).
These hangers can be sent out in the paper recycling when you're done with them, but they're sturdy and constructed to last a long time. They come in adult and infant sizes. You can buy them online at dittohangers.com or at various retailers, such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon.
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions Drives Retail Communication Strategies
Acorn connects with customers that support environmental practice
JANUARY 12, 2011
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions, designer of sustainably manufactured retail display products received strong positive response from Acorn Products to the custom designed and branded 100% recyclable hangers that the company selected for retail use. Customer response to Acorn's in-store environmental branding is in line with surveys showing increased consumer demand for sustainably manufactured products, and increased purchasing of those products if sustainability messaging is communicated at the retail display level.
"We are tremendously pleased with Ditto's 100% recyclable hangers," said Sonya Purington, Acorn Products Marketing Manager. "They function well, hold our products beautifully, have an appealing design aesthetic, and are totally eco-friendly. Ditto's hangers stand by Acorn’s commitment to quality, and help us toward our goal of being as environmentally friendly as possible."
Miller Zell, a strategic retail consulting firm, recently studied 999 US shoppers in its survey "Gone in 2.3 seconds: Capturing Shoppers with Effective In-store Triggers" concerning in-store communication that compels purchasing decisions and the kind of messages that matter to shoppers.
In "Green Scene", part 2 of the Miller Zell study shows the extent of consumer concern for environmentalism: over 70% of women and over 60% of both Gen X and Gen Y consumers indicated a preference for green product options. And 51% of consumers overall consider it important for apparel to be environmentally friendly and sustainably manufactured.
Green Scene also reveals compelling information on how retailers can create a positive response to brands that engage consumers with enviromental messaging through marketing channels, but aren't connecting in retail settings. Shoppers in the study indicated that retailers - and manufacturers - do a poor job of communicating an in-store ecological message. The study determined that more deliberate and focused communication at the display level can serve as a manufacturer's or retailer's prompt to help consumers choose green more easily, and more often.
"Our new "green" packaging story at retail does certainly give us a competitive advantage – especially with customers who see and appreciate the new materials and design," continued Purington. "Now the efforts we take in designing earth-consious footwear is in line with the hanging devices used to display them at retail."
"The missing link in environmental messaging often occurs with the retail display," said Gary Barker, Ditto CEO. "Acorn recognized that the effort they'd made to create brilliant, sustainably manufactered footwear was being undercut by a retail hanger that wasn't easily recyclable. The Green Scene study reenforces our belief that manufacturers need to communicate their sustainability mission at every level, at every point of contact with consumers. We worked with Acorn to design a display that spoke to their core values and was easily understood by their consumers. We're very happy that Acorn's shoppers have responded very favorably."
Gary Barker interviewed by Rebecca Corral of KCBS 740AM www.kcbs.com
PRESS RELEASE
How Consumers Impact Their Retail Environment
Clothing Manufacturers Respond to Demand for Sustainability Practices
DECEMBER 8, 2010
Ditto Sustainable Brand Solutions, designer of sustainably manufactured retail display products, was tracking consumer demand for environmental practices in the retail industry before the company was launched four years ago. According to recent reports by industry watchdog Retail Systems Research and publications as varied as CIO Magazine and Chain Store Age, responding to consumer awareness of the environmental impact of their shopping habits is now a mainstream concept. People want green.
"In a recession, consumer buying habits become even more discretionary," said Gary Barker, Ditto CEO. "What they buy, and where they buy speaks volumes about the fundamentals that matter to them. Consumers seek out brands and products that reflect their social concerns."
The LOHAS consumer - as first defined by a 2003 National Marketing Institute consumer study - demonstrates tremendous leadership in attitudes toward the environment, society and socially responsible business practices. They are early adopters, influential over friends and family, less price sensitive, and more brand loyal.
Hundreds of mainstream publications now devote an April issue to environmental coverage in recognition of Earth Day, newscasts and radio stations have dedicated "green business" reporters, eco-trade publications abound, and the number of green blogs continues to grow as the public's appetite as new information continues to support environmental consciousness and shift behavior, including retail purchase decisions.
A prime example of the shift occurred three years ago. The Oprah Winfrey Show has been the number one talk show in the United States for for nearly 25 years. Oprah’s appeal is broad. She moves more than just the cognoscenti. She moves middle America. Her show is supported by America's biggest businesses, best funded advertisers, and she has viewers to entertain (not alienate). So, when Oprah invited Al Gore to appear on her show in 2007, her tacit endorsement of "An Inconvenient Truth" was a sign that mainstream American business had also embraced environmentalism.
Beyond Mr. Gore's appearance, The Oprah Winfrey Show regularly addresses issues of environmental concern. Ms. Simran Sethi, an award-winning journalist, presents topics on sustainability and contemporary environmentalism, almost always including tips on ways people can take action and put their concern for the planet into everyday practice.
Consumer adoption of green products is also driven by the quality of those products. Quality is a concept that matters to local, regional, and national retailers and is underscored globally by companies as large as IBM. A recent article in their online publication A Smarter Planet drew the following conclusions - in part - regarding consumer preferences and how business should respond: "Going green can do wonders for a company’s brand. Given the choice between similar products, many customers will choose - and even pay a premium for - the one that is quantifiably better for the environment."
Gary Barker interviewed by David Wesley Page of KSRO 1350AM www.ksro.com
NEWS
LUUUX Loves Ditto Hangers
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
LUUUX, an innovative lifestyle/community/exchange site, has included Ditto Hangers on their website as a design leader. Check it out at http://www.luuux.com/design/ditto-hangers
Acorn Turns to Ditto Hangers to Reinvigorate its Brand
NOVEMBER 4, 2010
Ditto Hangers, maker of the original 100% recyclable paperboard clothes hanger, designed a retail display hanger for Acorn footwear that clearly conveys the New England company's sustainability initiative. Designed to accommodate men's and women's shoes of many sizes, the hangers various seed pod forms visually express the Acorn brand, while each hanger's imprintable paper carries the Acorn logo. In addition, Ditto's hanger solved even bigger problems for Acorn: replacing an existing display product that wasn't easily recyclable, and took up too much space in shipping containers, increasing shipping costs.
"Ditto Hangers' design, the green materials, shape and color are perfect for Acorn," said Sonya Purington, Acorn Marketing Director. "Putting our slippers on an earth-friendly hanger was natural for us, our brand and our product. We are tremendously pleased with the new hangers – the green design solution works for us."
Ditto's design team was asked to address several concerns Acorn had regarding the materials and functionality of their hangers. Those hangers were designed with a combination of paper and plastic. Although the hanger performed well, and paper and plastic are both recyclable commodities, when they are combined in a way that is not easily separated, the recyclability goes way down, resulting in an item likely redirected to a landfill.
Additionally, because those hangers couldn't intrisically carry Acorn's sustainability message, they failed at supporting the brand's positioning. The solution Ditto was asked to deliver involved both a re-engineering of the functionality of the Acorn hanger – creating a 100% recyclable item – and its ability to unify the packaging, sustainable philosophy and brand across their entire line.
"The result was a stylish paperboard hanger – scalable for several slipper sizes – made out of 100% recycled material that's easily recyclable even in difficult to recycle places like malls and department stores," said Gary Barker, Ditto Hangers CEO. "And because it is made from paperboard, the new hanger lays flat during shipping, then is assembled at Acorn's factories, which substantially reduced the company's shipping costs."
The new Ditto design unifies the Acorn brand. Upbeat and modern, the new hangers stake out the Acorn brand even in overcrowded store settings. Simple and easy to understand, the Ditto hangers compliment the Acorn designs and reinforce the company's sustainability message.
Zorianna Kit Highlights Ditto Hangers for the 2010 Eco Oscars
MARCH 9, 2010
Ditto Ecological Hangers were called out as the "Most Awesome Item" by Zorianna Kit for the 2010 Eco Oscars event in Beverly Hills last week. Zorianna has been a fan of Ditto since she discovered them at the 2009 Eco Emmys where Ditto had a booth. We're a fan of Zorianna as well!
Insightful article about the different types of ecological hangers available, including Ditto Hangers. Well written by Patrick Henry, this article discusses waste, recycling and design issues regarding the much maligned sector known as garment hangers.
Fast Company names GreenHeart Global as one of the companies changing the world.
A New Breed of Eco-Designers: Eco-designers are crafting clever solutions that will divert tons of waste from landfills.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
Eco design company GreenHeart Global was chosen as one of 6 product companies saving the world by redesigning everyday products. Peter Arnell, international branding guru, mentioned GreenHeart Global's Ditto Hangers saying it was designers like GreenHeart Global that will really change the world towards sustainability.
Nice write-up in the New York Times' Fashion & Style section about the opening of the NYC Adidas SLVR store "If the Apple Store Sold Clothing". Ditto Hangers is mentioned in a fun review of the SLVR store and design sense. Written my Mike Albo.
Events that celebrate the good life on a more intimate and human scale
DECEMBER 4, 2008
One of the most fitting ways to end one of Hollywood’s biggest weeks was at the sprawling Pickford Manor in Hancock Park. Under the auspices of event producer Debbie Durkin and Platform Media Group founder–man-about-town– DJ Henry Eshelman and his team, the estate hosted the now-annual Eco-Emmys Celebrity Green Gifting & Wellness Château. The event benefited some of the most A-list charities including Susan G. Komen for the Cure, I Am That, Free the Slaves, Arx Pacifica and SPCA-LA.
VIPs were treated to frocks from Single by Galina Sobolev and Kir’s elegant silver pieces, TIGI Linea’s Peace Love Planet, Eco-Eyebrow by Marco Ochoa, Rob BOPI manicures and Australian-made Nvey Eco luxury make-up. However, most of the guests were focused on un-spoiling the planet by living, eating and decorating smarter, using products and furnishings by Robert Craymer, Wabasabi Green Eco Art Pillows and Bags, Forty Oaks Farms, LifeSource Whole-House Water Systems, Ray Robin’s Eco Houses, Greenheart Global’s Eco Hangers, Luscious Vegan Desserts and Cuca Fresca Cachaca (Brazil was apparently this year’s winner in the cocktail category.)
Celebrities who made the rounds included Camilla Belle, Rex Lee, Malin Akerman, Elliot Yamin, Jennifer Lewis, Maksim Chmerkovsky, Malin Akerman (Couples’ Retreat), Sharon Lawrence, Colin Egglesfield (Melrose Place) and Trevor Donovan (90210). •
Wonderful article by eco-journalist Jonathan Bardelline on the worldwide problem of hangers. GreenHeart Global's Gary Barker helps Jonathan unravel the issues that make hangers such an ecological disaster.
Ditto's Ziggurat Hanger for Adidas wins Silver at SPARKSAward
MARCH 3, 2008
The prestigious SparksAward recently awarded GreenHeart Global with the Silver for Ecodesign for Ditto's unique Ziggurat paper hanger designed for Adidas. The SparksAward is known worldwide as the new benchmark of innovative and modern.
Designed for Adidas' SLVR Concept Stores, The Ziggurat Hanger was designed to display Adidas' high concept sportswear. Inspired by terraced hillsides and ancient structures, the design layers form where it's needed most--in the outer shoulder blades. Its form, construction and engineering are simple and utterly transparent.
Spark is a fresh, modern qualification system that recognizes new processes and technology and seeks to involve people and ideas from untapped sources. Designers from all levels and skill-sets are invited to participate, be they professional, novice or student. This year's competition attracted designers, art directors, architects, design firms, manufacturers, institutions and ad agencies.
NEWS
Sustainable Style Foundation
Ditto Hangers makes SSF Staff's Showcase as one of the top hip and sustainable products of 2008
DECEMBER 13, 2007
We are SO excited about this new product. There's been a long debate over paper vs. plastic bags (bring your own is the winner of course) but the plastic vs. wire vs. wood hanger issue has been 'hanging' over us just as long. So we truly were so, So, SO excited to see GreenHeartGlobal's new Ditto hangers come across our desk. Several design are available in both 100% recycled paper and 70% recycled content, 100% #1 PET recyclable plastic hangers. Best of all - and we LOVE this part - they have good design and have already won several design awards.
NEWS
GreenLodging News
The leading environmental news source for hospitality writes about our Ditto hangers.
NOVEMBER 26, 2007
Ditto Hangers has introduced its new, intelligently designed solution to the non-recyclable hanger. These new products are manufactured from easily recyclable and more environmentally friendly materials, to keep hangers out of landfills. Designed using two of the most recycled materials, Ditto Hangers are made from 100 percent recycled paper and 100 percent recyclable PET plastic, the same plastic used to make water bottles.
“We designed our hangers starting at the end of their useful life rather than from the beginning,” says Gary Barker, the company’s president and CEO. “That way we know they’ll have value on the secondary market, unlike the typical ‘invisible’ hanger found in most retail clothing stores.”
Created for retail clothing companies, non-toxic dry cleaners and green hospitality, Ditto Hangers are 100 percent recyclable in the majority of recycling programs at the store level. They are designed to replace the billions of polystyrene and polypropylene plastic and wire hangers that are produced annually, only 15 percent of which are typically recycled. The rest go to landfills and take more than 1,000 years to break down.
Ditto Hangers’ two lines include 100 percent recyclable Ditto Paper Hangers, made from certified recycled paper with vegetable inks and environmentally friendly starch adhesives, and Ditto’s 100 percent PET Plastic Hangers, the most highly recycled of all plastics worldwide. Their unique design recently won two first prizes in the International Design Awards for Sustainable Living/Environmental Preservation and Urban Sustainable Design2.
“Many clothing companies ship their clothing from overseas on plastic and wire hangers,” Barker says. “Once the item sells, the hanger is disposed. A hanger with a useful life of a week to a couple of months ends up in a landfill and takes 1,000 or more years to degrade. It doesn’t make sense.
Writes about the invisible waste stream for retail polystyrene hangers
NOVEMBER 20, 2007
Billions of hangers are thrown away by retail clothing, dry-cleaning, and hospitality locations every year, yet this large waste stream goes largely unnoticed. Only 15% of the typical polystyrene or polypropylene hangers are properly recycled. The rest end up in landfills and can leach dangerous chemicals into the ground water such as benzene and bi-phenyl A, a hormone disruptor. Wire hangers clog up recycling systems and do not have enough material to be effectively recycled, particularly if they have any coating on them. Even reusable wooden hangers are rarely recyclable or compostable, due to unidentified varnishes and adhesives, metal components, and the lack of proper collection at the store level.
"Many clothing companies ship their clothing from overseas on plastic and wire hangers," explains Gary Barker, CEO of GreenHeart Global which designs Ditto Hangers. "Once the item sells, the hanger is disposed. So a hanger with a useful life of a week to a couple of months ends up in a landfill taking 1000 or more years to degrade. It doesn't make sense."
A new generation of hangers, such as the 100% recyclable PET hanger and 100% paper hanger lines offered by Ditto Hangers, provide a solution to this neglected ecological impact. They are designed with end of useful life in mind. Ecologically minded hangers use materials that are widely accepted by recyclers (such as paper and the PET plastic used for water bottles) and a single-material design.
Ditto Hanger's focus on elegant design also proves again that eco-friendly can be stylish at the same time. Their PET hanger recently won two 1st prizes in the International Design Awards for Sustainable Living/Environmental Preservation and Urban Sustainable Design. A clothing retail location using such distinct hangers can simultaneously reduce their waste stream, visually enhance their displays, and communicate their environmental message directly to their customers.
"Ditto Hangers is committed to make the toxic, wire and plastic invisible hanger visible again, just long enough to make it extinct." Says Barker. "But don't worry: they'll be plenty of them already in landfills for archaeologists to dig up for centuries to come."
NEWS
Plenty Magazine
Eco lifestyle magazine suggests No Wire Hangers...EVER!
NOVEMBER 14, 2007
There’s nothing worse than coming back from the dry cleaners (organic, of course), arms laden with a stack of clothes, only to have to contend with the tangle of metal hangers that are standard issue among cleaners nationwide. Of course, you can recycle them, but most people don’t, which is how 85% of the hangers used by cleaners and retail clothing companies end up in landfills every year. That’s where Ditto Hangers comes in. The California-based company has created two lines of intelligently designed hangers, made from 100% certified recycled paper and printed with vegetable inks, and from 100% PET plastic, the same recyclable material used to make water bottles. Currently, the hangers are only available to retailers, non-toxic dry cleaners, and the green hospitality industry, but look for them to become available to consumers soon. Finally, you can say goodbye to wire hangers forever.
NEWS
Josh Spear Writes about Ditto
International trend setter writes about saving the world with Ditto Hangers
SEPTEMBER 8, 2007
It’s estimated that 8-10 billion un-recyclable plastic and wire hangers are wasted every year, and they end up clogging our landfills, requiring more than 1,000 years to break down. Kind of a big deal, that’s like 4.6 Empire State Buildings full of plastic hangers every single year. And it gets worse — those white plastic hangers in your closet also leak all sorts of dangerous chemicals into the ground water. Mega scary.
Until now.
In comes Ditto Hangers, a global company with an incredible and honorable mission: Save the world with hangers. They’re solving the worldwide and much forgotten problem by designing hangers made from recycled materials; papers and plastics. Vegetable inks add to the environmentally friendly ingredient list. The 100% recyclable paper and PET plastic hangers are meant for retail environments and non-toxic dry cleaners, but I say we all could use a little more green in our closets. No word on ordering direct from their site, but keep your eyes peeled for them near you — word is they’re coming to GAP in the states.
They were also recently nominated finalists at the Design Excellence Awards for their Ditto PETE CLIP Hanger for Eco Design. Congrats!
Ditto ARC PET Clip Hanger is finalist in Ecodesign from prestigious international design competition
AUGUST 14, 2007
Ditto's ARC clip hanger was chosen as a finalist in the International Design Excellence Awards [IDEA] for eco design.
Ditto's PET Plastic Clip hanger is revolutionary in its design, engineering and materials selection. PET (polyethylene teraphatalate) is one of the world's most recycled plastics and is the same material used to make water bottles. It was chosen due to its ability to be easily recycled into other products (fleece jackets, carpeting, blankets, pillows, computer components and PET bottles) and PET's non-toxic structure. All the components of this groundbreaking hanger are made of PET—even the spring clips. Single material construction makes the Ditto PET Plastic Clip extremely recyclable.
The IDEA program is the premier international competition honoring design excellence in products, eco design, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research and concepts.
International Design Awards
Ditto Hangers wins 2 first prizes for Sustainability and Ecodesign
FEBRUARY 3, 2007
The International Design Awards competition has awarded GreenHeart Global two first prizes for their innovative Ditto PET clothing hangers. The first prizes were awarded in the main category of Sustainable Living/Environmental Preservation and the sub category of Urban Sustainable Design.
Nearly 1000 industrial designers, architects and fashion and graphic designers from 50 countries world-wide entered their designs in this prestigious competition.
