What is Econyl® And How Can a Surf Bikini Be Made From Plastic?
We all love new clothes, bikinis or leggings, but have you ever thought about how damaging some of your favourite pieces might be to the environment?
As surfers we spend hours floating around in the ocean and when we're totally surfed out, we will love nothing more than relaxing on the beach watching friends getting the rides of their life.
I bet you have all noticed the amount of rubbish floating around in the water and getting stuck around the high tide line. It's so sad that most beaches will take tens of bin bags before you would even start to see the difference. You'd find the most odd things, wondering how on earth they got there.
As a surfer you have a very double sided connection with the ocean as surfboards and wetsuits aren't exactly the most environmentally-friendly products to be manufactured. I believe true surfers will have wondered when sitting out in the line up, how on earth we could stop all this polluting. It's not just the rubbish that ends up in the ocean and animal habitats, but we have to think about dirty manufacturing processes as well.
Although it seems nearly impossible by now, there is a change upon us we should all embrace as surfers. More and more brands are setting an example by changing the way our favourite pieces are made. But change will also have to come from us as for an eco friendly material, which is slightly more complicated to get to, you will have to dig a bit deeper into your pocket. It is also time to enjoy our clothing and wetsuits longer, or think of re-using them in some way. If you really want to get the newest, think of selling and donating your old pieces. Don't just throw them!
So you wonder how on earth bikinis or leggings can be eco-friendly or even made from plastics??
For this I would have to tell you a little bit more about the materials that brands like Salt Gypsy and Odina use:
Repreve®
Since Repreve® was introduced it has transformed more than 4 billion recycled plastic bottles into REPREVE fiber—resulting in many amazing products consumers know and love. Did you know 6 recycled plastic bottles makes a shirt? Plastic bottles labeled with the #1 on the bottom are the same chemistry make-up as polyester, which is called PET, or technically known as polyethylene terephthalate. After years of development, the Repreve® researchers fine-tuned a proprietary process that allows them to transform PET bottle flakes into REPREVE fiber, which is then used in thousands of different fabrics and products available globally. Odina uses Repreve in solid colours.
Econyl® is more than just recycled, it is actually 100% regenerated materials.
It offers the highest quality fibres from nylons taken out of waste, such as carpets, clothing and fishing nets, and then transforms them back into raw material without any loss of quality. Econyl® is about more than recovering waste that would otherwise be dumped into landfills or nature, in the process they are saving raw fossil material and halving CO2 emission by using waste instead of a derivative of oil. It's a double win. Both Odina and Salt Gypsy use Econyl in their surf bikinis and leggings.
How can I find these eco-friendly bikinis or leggings?
Check out our Eco Collection!
First of all there is Odina, one of the first swimwear brands that arrived on Seafoam last year. Odina takes the eco-friendliness of their company very serious. Setting the standard in eco-swimwear, Odina has put thought into every aspect of production. From the fabric, which is made from post consumer recycled plastic bottles (PET or Polyester) and recycled fishing nets (Nylon), to the hang tags, which are printed with water base dyes on recycled post consumer cotton in Los Angeles.
Odina uses Repreve® for solid coloured fabrics and Econyl® for the patterned fabrics.
Alison Teal of Alison Adventure's in her Odina bikini.
Another awesome brand you all love, Salt Gypsy, has been working very hard the last year to offer you the new range of Econyl® recycled nylon lycra leggings and rash guards. Now it's not only #styleinthelineup but you could have piece of mind, you are taking a wave in the right direction and helping the ocean to become a cleaner place.
The Classic Surf leggings by Salt Gypsy are made from Econyl.
So please, don't throw any plastics, clothing, furniture, nets, whatever can be recycled and saved from ending up on a waste site works towards a cleaner earth and ocean!
You know what to do!