Swimming Against the Tide

For one example, step forward Quiksilver who have, for the past five years, produced a collection of boardshorts that not only look good, but do good, thanks to their construction using REPREVE™ yarn – a type of fibre created from recycled plastic bottles. About 11 bottles go in to the production of each pair of shorts and, as a result, the surfwear brand has recently reached a stunning milestone: 100 million plastic bottles have now been recycled through the REPREVE™ program.

This is no fad or idle gesture, but a genuine move towards a more sustainable production process that mirrors the approach of other swimwear labels.

There's more to Tigerlily than meets the eye. Tigerlily has been making a number of their products from recycled materials for years; it is even built into the brand’s core philosophy, which emphasises ethical sourcing and sustainability. Principally they use Econyl® polyamide, a fibre created using “100% regenerated material” – mainly plastic pieces that may well have otherwise ended up in the ocean - in the production of their beautifully vibrant, boho bikinis.

Another company to follow the same path is Seapia, which again produces high-quality, on trend bikinis and costumes from fabrics that have been created using discarded plastics, in a bid to protect the habitat most important to any swimwear brand – the ocean. They also work hard to keep their carbon footprint at a lower level and use a local labour force for a more sustainable model.

The same can be said about The Rocks Push, who design their eye-catching, patterned swim shorts using recycled nylon that once made up numerous abandoned fishing nets salvaged from countries all over the world: Pakistan, Turkey, Thailand and Portugal, to name a few. For the Sydney-based label, their sustainable, charitable approach doesn’t stop there. They also donate profits to protecting Australia’s most important marine site – the extraordinary, UNESCO-listed Great Barrier Reef.