Materials like polyester have long been the go-to choice for swimwear fabric. Considering how affordable, stretchy, chlorine-resistant, and quick-drying polyester is, this doesn’t come as a surprise. But there is one quality that notably missing among the many advantages of this swimsuit fabric – eco-friendliness.
Like most popular swimsuit fabrics, polyester is a synthetic material, meaning it’s derived through chemical synthesis. In other words, it’s incredibly harmful to the environment. As the world shifts to more sustainable practices and upholds eco-conscious values, such materials are no longer considered the best fabric for swimwear.
But what are bathing suits made of in this new era of sustainability?
Read on, and you’ll learn about the sustainable swimwear fabric options that have taken the swimwear industry by storm.
What Is Eco-Friendly Swimwear Made Of?
Eco-friendly fashion is an ever-evolving field that constantly embraces new technologies, design styles, and materials to promote a greener and more responsible approach to this industry. So, it’s no wonder the list of sustainable bathing suit material options also keeps growing.
Still, a few bathing suit fabric choices stand out among the rest thanks to their incredible performance and exceptional sustainability.
ECONYL
ECONYL is a type of regenerated nylon coming from Italy. This sustainable swimwear fabric has become immensely popular due to its versatility in design.
But how is this eco swimwear material made?
The process starts with an incredibly innovative approach: collecting discarded nylon waste polluting the environment. From fishing nets floating in the ocean to industrial plastic overflowing landfills across the globe, every piece of collected waste undergoes a sorting and cleaning process to recover as much nylon as possible.
The recovered nylon is reverted to its original purity using a radical regeneration and purification process. “Original purity” means this recycled swimwear material is identical to fossil-based nylon. This puts ECONYL manufacturers in a unique position to infinitely recycle this material and create a more sustainable production loop.
Besides sustainable bathing suits, this fabric is often used for activewear in the apparel industry and carpeting in the home interior industry.
REPREVE
REPREVE is among the most innovative fabric choices for eco-friendly bathing suits. It’s made exclusively from recycled plastic bottles and comes from Unifi, Inc., one of the world’s leading textile manufacturers.
But what does it take to go from plastic bottles polluting oceans worldwide to an attractive and functional fabric for swimwear?
The process begins by manually collecting water bottles on coastlines with no formal recycling systems. The collected bottles are sorted, cleaned, and chopped into flakes before being shipped to a recycling center.
The recycling center is where the magic happens. The flakes become chips, which, in turn, become REPREVE fibers after being blended, melted, and extruded. These fibers are then transformed into fabric and used for various products, including eco-friendly swimsuits.
What makes this material an excellent choice for swimwear is its inherent cushioning, thermal regulation, and moisture-wicking properties.
Amni Soul Eco
Amni Soul Eco, another sustainability powerhouse from Italy, differs from other swimsuit material fabric options on our list. This fabric isn’t manufactured by recycling previously used materials like plastic bottles and carpet flooring. Instead, the material is created from scratch as a biodegradable yarn product.
This eco-friendly swimwear fabric takes no more than five years to completely biodegrade, preventing it from lingering in landfills and harming the environment. Amni Soul Eco has a unique technology that activates the yarn’s biodegradation process after the material comes in contact with microorganisms from the landfills.
But what makes this fabric ideal for sustainable swimwear? Quite a lot of characteristics, actually! Amni Soul Eco is exceptionally soft to the touch, breathable, fast-drying, and easy to clean, checking off all the boxes for a highly comfortable and functional swimsuit.
Vita PL
Italy has undoubtedly established itself as a global leader in eco-friendly fashion, so no wonder the last item on this sustainable swimwear fabric list also comes from this beautiful country. The item in question is Vita PL, a sustainable techno-fabric made of polyester.
Now, the mention of polyester might confuse you for a moment. And that’s perfectly understandable! But don’t worry; the polyester used for Vita PL fabric is 100% recycled and comes from pre and post-consumer materials.
Besides its eco-friendly nature, Vita PL is beloved for its numerous design and color options. Whether opting for a toned-down variety or a neon extravaganza, one thing’s for sure – you’ll have an eco-friendly swimsuit fabric material resistant to chlorine, sunscreen lotions, and suntan oils, i.e., the common enemies of bathing suits.
Why Sustainable Swimwear Fabric Matters?
Fashion is one of the most polluting industries worldwide, accounting for as much as 10% of total carbon emissions. While most aspects of this industry are incredibly harmful to the environment, the swimsuit industry is on a whole new level.
After all, many people tend to buy multiple new swimsuits every summer, discarding those from previous years. The affordability of popular swimsuit fabrics has made this harmful cycle possible and prevalent.
The concept of sustainable swimwear might’ve seemed near impossible until relatively recently. But now, it’s a very real option and an avenue every environmentally conscious consumer and brand owner should consider.
How to Be a Mindful Swimwear Consumer and Brand Owner?
When purchasing eco-friendly swimsuits, the situation is quite simple – look for brands manufacturing pieces using a sustainable swimwear fabric.
As a brand owner, it might get a bit trickier. After all, you must bid farewell to well-established manufacturing practices and welcome sustainability into your business. But this process doesn’t have to be challenging if you select the right partner.
Consider Appareify, a renowned sustainable clothing manufacturer, and they ensure every swimsuit that leaves your store is doing its part for the environment. To reach this desirable outcome, Appareify uses only recycled and biodegradable fabrics from manufacturing to packaging, sources electricity from solar energy, and uses energy-efficient production techniques throughout the manufacturing process.
In other words, your swimwear products manufactured through Appareify will be green from start to finish. Get in touch with this innovative manufacturer for more details.
Dive Into the Future
With the speed at which our planet is degrading, switching to eco-friendly practices has become a need, not an option. Using sustainable swimwear fabric is a great way to start the journey toward a greener fashion industry led by innovators like Appareify.