Jennie Nigrosh and Rick Siegel introduced their plastic-free garment bags in 2008.
Every year USA dry cleaners process 1.4 billion items of clothing, creating an estimated 300 million pounds of single-use plastic that invade our landfills and waterways. To get rid of the problem of single-use plastic bags, the couple decided to provide a green alternative for their users to save the planet and change their habits.
What Do They Make?
The reusable dry clean bags have a 4-in-1 purpose. They can be turned upside down and hung from a hook, and when it is filled with clothes, the bag can be closed with a drawstring. They can be fit into the eco-frame from the company to make it a basket, which makes it easier to throw clothes or laundry inside. The bag can be worn as a duffel bag when you are walking to the dry cleaners, by using the attached strap. When the clothes are dry-cleaned, they can be returned in the same garment bag by the dry-cleaners.
Their other products besides the original 4-in-1 Garmento, include locker bags, Gigantote, box bags, feather-light hamper stand, bedding bags, and pillow and blankets storage bags.
What Makes Them Unique?
The Green Garmento aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags used for laundry and dry cleaning purposes. The bags are breathable, which means they do not cause the clothes to suffocate inside as is the case with plastic bags. This doesn’t allow the chemicals to stay in the clothes and later contact your skin and cause irritation.
Are They Still an Active Company?
Jennie didn’t strike a deal with any of the Sharks on the Shark Tank show, but she believed in her product and was passionate about it.
The Green Garmento can be found in thousands of dry cleaning chains and other stores across the USA, they are also widely used in hotels. The website is active and running, and The Green Garmento has introduced other products besides their Deluxe Bag.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Jennie Nigrosh, president of The Green Garmento, came to Shark tank seeking $300,000 for a 20% equity.
She went on to explaining that The Green Garmento has multi-functions to help create a cleaner closet and a cleaner planet. She demonstrated the use of The Green Garmento bag, by morphing it into a hanging space-saving hamper, and then fitting it into a hamper frame. Then she showed how to cinch the bag when it is filled with clothes that need to be sent to dry-cleaners, and how it can be carried as a duffel bag using the strap attached to the back. The bag could be taken to the dry-cleaners and the dry-cleaned clothes could be brought back in The Green Garmento back which can be converted into a hanging bag.
She ended her pitch by telling the Sharks that sometimes the biggest ideas could be the simplest and that they should play their part in making the world use less plastic and invest in The Green Garmento.
Kevin asked her how she expects the Sharks to make money from her product, to which Nigrosh replied that an individual bag costs $2 and she sells it at $4 each.
She said that her company is expected to make $400,000 that year and that they have already made $260,000. Nigrosh revealed that her company will reach $1 million in sales.
Kevin inquired whether she was gaining any profits from her business, and Nigrosh confessed that she and her husband have invested $380,000 in the business, but so far they have been running it at a loss even with the healthy sales. She also revealed that they have non-equity investors who invested $900,000, and they are taking 9% of their sales.
The Sharks were not impressed after hearing that the company was losing money and had taken such a big loan.
Robert called the loan an “elephant in the room”, he liked the product, but the loan was too big for him to be interested in making a deal. He was out.
Barbara also thought that investing in this product would mean getting into a problem. She found the product to be clever and very well designed, but still, she was out.
Kevin commented that the idea of saving the planet is only attractive when it doesn’t cost people money. He said that no one will buy the expensive garment bags. He didn’t make an investment as well.
Mark Cuban told Nigrosh that debt is not her friend and that he wasn’t interested in a deal as well.
Daymond didn’t like the huge loan as well, and didn’t make an investment.
Nigrosh left the show with no Shark Tank deal.
Our Review of The Green Garmento
The Green Garmento dry clean bags have a great space inside to accommodate clothes. It can be easily cleaned with a wipe or hand-washed.
The Gigantote, or box bags have a lot of capacity to store toys, laundry, and they can also be used to organize other things in your closet.
Pros of The Green Garmento
- The bags have a lot of room inside.
- The tote bags can be used to store groceries, laundry, garments, etc.
- It is versatile and multi-functional.
- The bags are water-resistant.
- The Green Garmento can be cleaned easily using hand wash, machine wash, or simply wiping down from an antibacterial wipe.
Cons of The Green Garmento
- The bag doesn’t come with a hamper stand, which needs to be bought separately.
Who Is The Green Garmento For?
The bags can be used to eliminate single-use plastic for any chore related to our closet, like decluttering your closet, organizing the clothes, or storing anything that comes from the dry cleaners.
Are There Any Alternatives?
- CB Station Garment Bag.
- Laundry Bag – Eco-Friendly Reusable Mesh Travel Organizer.
Our Final Thoughts:
The Green Garmento is a great idea to save the planet from the harmful effects of using thin single-use plastics. The design is eco-friendly, inexpensive, and convenient to use.
