Are you looking for sustainably made swimwear? If so, you’re in the right place. We’ve researched and collated some of the best eco friendly brands that produce swimming costumes for women, and swimming trunks for men.
What materials are used to make eco-friendly swimwear?
If you’ve ever worn a regular swimming costume or trunks you’ll know it has a certain, somewhat stretchy, feel to it – or you might like to call it plasticky – that’s because it is.
Regular swimwear is typically made from virgin plastics, such as nylon i.e. plastic that has been produced using fossil fuels, which is harmful for the planet.
Whereas the brands we have listed in this article have all used recycled fabrics and/or recycled plastics to create their product range, which means you still get the same material feel you’re used to in swimwear, but without any of the fast-fashion guilt.
The key innovative fabric that has been created specifically to cater for eco-friendly swimwear which you should look out for is ECONYL®.
This is because ECONYL® is made using regenerated nylon plastic waste from items such as discarded ocean fishing nets, old fabric scraps and carpet offcuts. ECONYL® has been designed with circular economy principles in mind, meaning that it can be recycled and reused multiple times, thus reducing waste.
8 sustainable swimwear brands you’ll love
We’ve sectioned our list of swimwear brands by women and men separately, as not all brands make designs for both.
Women’s eco friendly swimming costumes
RubyMoon – ‘Cleaning up the oceans and empowering women entrepreneurs around the world’
Two of the key pillars that RubyMoon is based on are, firstly, being a brand that is fully circular in its approach to fashion – with all costumes made from ECONYL® and following slow-fashion principles. Secondly, they are a social enterprise for women (and powered by women), with the aim of empowering women all over the world by investing 100% of their profits in female entrepreneurs, aiming to reduce gender inequality – as well as reducing plastic waste!
Away That Day – ‘We’re on a mission to prove that sustainability doesn’t compromise ‘sexy’’
Creating eco friendly swimwear which is high quality and stylish is at the heart of the Away That Day range. All of their garments are ethically made in the U.K. using ECONYL® fabric and packaged in a compostable & biodegradable bag made from corn starch. They have a brilliant ‘recycle your swim’ initiative which encourages you to send them any of your old / used swimming costumes, which they then recycle for you, and give you a 15% discount code to use on their website.
Buy Away That Day swimwear here
Stay Wild – ‘We feel a responsibility to give back to the ocean’
Founded by london-based ocean lovers, Zanna Van Dijk and Natalie Glaze, Stay Wild is a premium swimwear brand, which is made using eco-friendly fabric ECONYL®. Their passion to fight the marine plastic problem was instilled from an early age as they both grew up by the ocean, and they now actively try to contribute to the solution through the sustainable ethos of Stay Wild. Their swimwear range is female focused and designed with clean cut styles which aims to flatter women of all sizes – with a selection of one piece costumes and bikinis.
Davy J – ‘Our suits are designed to last longer, fighting the trend of throwaway fashion’
If you’re the active type who enjoys going wild in the water then Davy J is the sustainable swimwear brand for you. Their designs are resiliently made with double lined ECONYL®, providing extra durability, strength and shape to their range – which has a selection of one piece, two piece and a winter layer selection (for those cold British waters!). The circular economy is within the brands guiding principles, and Davy J encourages you to send any old items of theirs back to them at the end of the product’s life, so they can be recycled or reused as appropriate.
Men’s eco friendly swimming shorts
Mr Marvis – ‘It’s in our DNA to create slow fashion’
With a passion to make stylish shorts for men in an eco-friendly way, the Mr Marvis brand was born in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. All of their clothing range is hand-made in Portugal, with a key focus on choosing the right, ethically sourced, fabrics. Mr Marvis swim shorts are made from Oeko-Tex certified polyamide and dyed according to REACH standards, and their sport shorts are made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. If you’re after a fashionable look, Mr Marvis will have you sustainably covered.
Buy Mr Marvis swimming shorts here
CDLP – ‘Swedish design house of focused, luxury essentials developed with innovation’
If high-end quality, luxury and innovation are essentials you look for in a brand – in addition to an eco-friendly ethos – then CDLP is certainly the men’s swimwear brand for you. Designed in Sweden and ethically produced in Portugal, their swim range is made using 100% ECONYL® fabric – as mentioned in the intro, ECONYL® is a nylon fibre repurposed from landfill and ocean waste. It’s the little quality details in CDLP swimwear that make the big difference, it’s well worth taking a look through their range.
Anorak – ‘We’re a family run, sustainable lifestyle brand’
Simplicity, sustainability and family are core to the Anorak brand, alongside their desire to inject colour and bold contemporary prints in the designs of the clothing they produce. Based in London, they are proud members of the ‘Made in Britain’ campaign, with all of their clothing ethically sourced and produced in British factories to REACH standards. The Orca Recycled Swim shorts are made using recycled polyester from plastic bottles, so you can jump in the sea knowing they have taken all the bad bits out of it and put them into your shorts!
Buy Anorak recycled swimming shorts here
Everest Isles – ‘All our practices are clear as water and aimed at benefiting the planet’
Committed to creating clothing that eliminates waste, ever since Everest Isles was founded in 2012, their range is sophisticatedly designed with modern looking swim shorts. All garments are made from 100% ECONYL® fabric and packaged in innovative wood based paper that dissolves in water, leaving no waste in landfill. Everest Isles have a reprocess program whereby you can send your old Everest Isles swim shorts back to them and you will get 25% off your next purchase, which is a great way to help move towards a circular fashion loop.
Buy Everest Isles swimming shorts here
How should you wash eco-friendly swimwear?
To help reduce excess energy consumption it’s always advisable to hand wash items of clothing. If you do want to use a washing machine, that’s fine too. Ideally, if using a washing machine, ECONYL® fabric is best washed on a cold water setting or very low heat.
We will continue to update this article when we come across great new eco-friendly swimwear brands.
If you have a sustainably made swimwear brand that we haven’t covered, or an environmentally friendly product that you would like us to feature on the site, email us with your details: hello@ecofriendlychange.com