Why it's even more important than you thought to wear a sustainable SWIMSUIT this summer

(Credit: Photo by Soul.photobr from Pexels)

Credit: https://www.standard.co.uk/fashion/sustainable-swimwear-this-summer-a4119306.html
​Article first appeared on Evening Standard

There are two main issues. Firstly, swimsuits are made out of synthetic materials such as Polyurethane (a mixture of Lycra, Spandex or Elastane), the creation of which has a harmful impact on dwindling natural resources.

“Swimwear is usually made from petroleum oil-based synthetic materials which is problematic for several reasons, including the fact that oil is a rapidly depleting natural resource, which can cause environmental pollution during extraction and fiber production and it also does not biodegrade at the end of its life," explains Harriet Vocking, Chief Brand Officer at Eco-Age.

And it's not just the way swimwear is made that has an adverse effect, even just washing or wearing a synthetic bikini can do harm.

"Every time you wash synthetic clothes they shed small plastic pieces called microfibers, which is leading to plastic pollution of our waterway," explains sustainable brand Reformation on its website. Taking a dip in a sea or pool is another way to directly distribute these fibers into our waterways.

As stated in Stella McCartney and Ellen MacArthur's 2018 report, A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future, it is predicted that by 2050, 22 trillion tones of synthetic microfibers (particles of plastic that are less than 5mm) will have been released into our oceans.

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