Personal manager Rick Siegel and his wife, marketing executive Jennie Nigrosh, wanted to create dry-cleaning bags that were environmentally friendly. But they did more than come up with bags that are reusable: Their bags are multifunctional.

One of their bags can be used as a hanging hamper for dirty clothes storage, then converted to a duffel bag to take clothes to the cleaners, then converted again to a take-home garment protector.

They launched their Green Garmento company five months ago with $30,000 of their own money and $70,000 from Siegel’s clients and associates. The company has sold 20,000 bags.

“We are already on our second container shipment, another 20,000 bags,” Nigrosh said.

The bags are made of polypropylene, a recyclable plastic. They’re manufactured in China and shipped to Los Angeles. Green Garmento sells the bags to dry cleaners and other garment businesses across the United States through their Web site. Prices are under $10.

Dry cleaners can charge their customers or provide them as a loyalty gift. The concept of reusable dry-cleaning covers isn’t new.

“Unlike most green

products, when the end user the dry cleaner in this case makes the transition to our product, they actually save money: up to 40 percent in the first year and up to 70 percent every year thereafter,” said Siegel of Hollywood. “The product has value just as a carrying bag for customers’ dry cleaning.”

He claims dry cleaners can save money. One New Jersey dry cleaner told Siegel he spent $26,000 a year on traditional single-use bags, special heavier bags, rubber bands, wire ties and the like. But he saved $11,000 by giving Green Garmentos to all his customers 3,000 bags at $5 each. If he buys 1,000 replacement bags next year, he’ll save even more.

“The Green Garmento provided an answer to one of our problems,” said Bobby Smerling, who owns

Brentwood Royal Cleaners. “Many of our customers had been looking for an

alternative to the waste of single-use bags.”

It was a concern for the environment that drove Siegel and Nigrosh to launch the company.

“More than 300 million pounds of single-use plastic dry-cleaning bags pour into America’s landfills,” Nigrosh said. “Our mission is to eradicate the single-use plastic bags in dry cleaners.”

It might not be that easy. Some dry cleaners are not sure if the higher prices for reusable bags will cost-

justify.

Raj Patel, owner of Ritz Cleaners in Larchmont

Village, has been giving away reusable cloth bags instead of plastic covers to his clients since last fall, but he hasn’t been able to save any money yet.

“It’s going to be a long term project,” Patel said. “We can only save money if our customers bring the bags back. But they sometimes forget to bring them back.”