Before you slip into your favorite bikini and dive into the ocean waves this summer, take a moment to consider where your swimsuit lands on the eco-friendly spectrum. Is it crafted from materials that are recycled, regenerative, and renewable? What about the certifications? Is it organic or B Corp certified? And don’t forget about production and shipping! Locally made and small-batch brands are good to keep an eye out for, as are those who send out their products in 100% compostable bags.
Achieving that ‘sustainable’ affiliation is all in the details—the more you observe all the different steps that go into creating an item of clothing, the more ways you realize you can improve. In essence, sustainability is a goal that will forever be in progress.
Thankfully, several designers are hip to this fact and are mindfully creating swimwear that’s less detrimental to the planet. Ahead, you’ll spot some tried-and-true names in the mix, like Summersalt and Araks, who are working with fabrics like Econyl recycled nylon, plus newer labels like Anemos and Ookioh, who are actively working to completely eliminate plastics in their process. Scroll down to learn about and shop the season’s most stylish eco-friendly swimsuits.
This Australian swimwear brand sources from regenerative, organic, and recycled materials and will often incorporate deadstock into the collection when it makes sense for the garment. Matteau’s plain swimwear is crafted with Repreve recycled nylon yarn made from waste that’s generated in the fiber manufacturing process. Their printed suits are lined with the same recycled nylon and the outer layer is crafted in Econyl, which is a nylon yarn made from waste such as fishing nets from the ocean as well as fabric scraps and industrial plastic.
Waste reduction is at the heart of one-size swimwear brand Hunza G, with zero deadstock fabric or wastage created in the process. On the packaging front, their poly bags are biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable, and constructed with post-consumer plastic. The UK label also uses DHL Go-Green to help offset transit emissions.
Ookioh’s fabrics are made from 100% regenerated materials, meaning the sources their mill uses to create the swim brand’s textiles come from sources like ocean waste (sunken fishing nets) and pre-consumer waste (things tossed away during production). They’re also in the process of completely eliminating plastics from their footprint over the next two years.
LemLem is a brand that embodies the slow fashion movement with its emphasis on African design and craftsmanship. Their swim fabric is in collaboration with Repreve, a polyester fiber that’s made from plastic bottles. The swimwear pieces are also made from a regenerated nylon crafted from landfill and ocean waste called Econyl.
Nanushka’s swim collection is crafted using a mix of organic and recycled fabrics, which ties back to the brand’s overarching sustainability ethos that encompasses circularity, community, and earth. Beyond textile innovation, Nanushka has debuted initiatives like Repair, Rent, and Recycle to extend the life of their garments as well as rental partnerships with HURR and Rent the Runway.
Summersalt’s swimwear is made from 78% recycled Polyamide, which is constructed using post-consumer materials and nylon waste (once again, old fishing nets are the culprit here). They also ship in poly bags made from recycled materials and several of their other garments are made with eco-friendly materials like Tencel, Tencel Modal, and Cupro.
A closed-loop design system and small batch production model both characterize Verandah’s sustainability efforts. They work with materials like regenerated nylon (something they refer to as “infinitely recyclable”) as well as wood-based fabrics and regenerated cotton. Plus, for each garment sold, the brand plants a tree in partnership with SankalpTaru, a forest regeneration project.
Focusing on four pillars of sustainability—culture of mindfulness and economy, product design, partnerships, and social sustainability—Araks adopts a well-rounded approach to easing its footprint on the planet. The brand saves every swatch and stockpiles hundreds of colors in binders and jars and donates materials they don’t need to schools and charitable organizations. The recycled swimsuits are made from 78% Econyl Recycled Nylon and 22% Elastane.
Prior to founding Vitamin A, Amahlia Stevens worked on a project with Patagonia’s founder, which inspired her to translate the outdoor company’s emphasis on eco-friendly fabrics to the swimwear space. She worked with mills in Italy, Canada, and California to create EcoLux, a swim fabric made from recycled nylon fibers. She’s also incorporated additional conscious textiles into the collections like organic cotton, linen, recycled cotton, and Tencel.
The swimwear line renowned for its dainty scalloped edges recently introduced SWIMCLEAN, which is Marysia’s first swim collection made from 100% certified recycled materials (90% pre-consumer recycled polyamide and 10% premium recycled elastane). The suit is dyed according to a process that adheres to the Oeko Tex standards, which means it’s not only safe for humans to use but it’s also free from harmful chemicals.
In all of its swimwear, Fisch uses Econyl, the regenerated nylon fiber that’s made from ghost fishing nets and other nylon waste. According to the brand, it takes nature more than 600 years to break down these abandoned nets, giving more than enough reason to find a way to repurpose them. Their fabric mill is located two miles from their factory, further minimizing the carbon footprint their production process makes.
According to the brand, Peony’s use of recycled fibers has diverted approximately 9,920 pounds of post-consumer waste that would have otherwise ended up at landfills. Their swimwear is 100% made from recycled fabrics. Similar to other eco-friendly labels, the pieces incorporate sustainable all-star textiles like Econyl and Repreve. Peony also works with suppliers with internationally recognized certifications such as BSCI, S8000, and Oekotex and is focused on supply chain transparency and traceability.
Produced and manufactured locally in Bali, B Corp Certified Faithfull the Brand’s efforts toward sustainability have manifested through sustainable and certified fabrications, reducing fabric wastage, and using biodegradable packaging for all e-commerce orders. They also use Econyl regenerated nylon and Repreve recycled fiber for their printed swimwear.
Hailing from Australia, B Corp Certified swimwear label Bondi Born uses a primary swimwear base cloth called Sculpteur, which they share has a very low carbon footprint that’s up to 10 times lower than fabrics made from recycled plastics. The brand is also a 1% for the Planet member and for every order they receive online, a tree is planted through One Tree Planet.
One pillar of sustainability is supporting local artisans and production, something that designer Johanna Ortiz achieves particularly well. The Colombian designer developed an atelier in her hometown and her foundation, Semirello, works with individuals from disadvantaged communities to provide free professional-level seamstress and embroidered courses.
100% bio-based and made from a renewable fabric called Evo, Arloe is an eco-conscious swimwear brand based in Switzerland. This thread is a bio-polyamide that’s extracted from high-quality castor seed oil and the yarn grows in dry areas that don’t require high amounts of water to produce. It’s also Oeko-Tex certified and dries quickly (50% faster than other fibers, according to the brand).
Swimwear label Anemos checks off the many boxes of eco-friendly practices, starting with its fabric sourcing (their suppliers are Oeko-Step certified) to family-run local manufacturing to conscious packaging and stationery (the swimwear is shipped in 100% compostable packing and includes a mesh reusable wash bag instead of plastic).
Indie swimwear label Lokiki is crafted from 100% recycled nylon from fishing nets and all of their small-batch production is local and made in New York City in an effort to minimize their carbon footprint. On top of those core sustainability pillars, the brand is also in the process of transitioning to having all of its swim bags to be crafted from completely compostable plant materials and Lokiki donates 4% of its profits to clean water funds and other charitable initiatives every season.
This Black-owned swimwear brand works with regenerated materials like Econyl and is Oeko-Tex certified. Founder Brittany Kozerski also made the decision to only offer solid-colored fabrics due to pattern printing requiring more water usage. Additionally, Jade Swim upcycles fabric scraps in the production process and all items are made in Los Angeles.
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