Turning ocean waste into your favourite swimsuit: The ECONYL® revolution
jan
WHAT IS ECONYL®? SUSTAINABLE SWIMWEAR AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Abandoned fishing nets, also known as „ghost nets”, have become a major threat to marine life. In fact, these nets account for 46% of all plastic in the oceans. Scary, right? While we’re all out here talking about eliminating plastic straws, there’s an even bigger threat to our waters. Don’t get us wrong – we absolutely believe in eliminating (or at least significantly reducing) single-use plastics. We just think it’s important to highlight the other, perhaps lesser-known, pollutant of our great blue and what’s being done about it. Enter ECONYL®
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are proud to use ECONYL® fabric – a revolutionary material made from synthetic waste, including industrial plastics, discarded fabrics and derelict fishing nets collected from the world’s oceans. Through a remarkable process, these materials are recycled and regenerated into a new nylon yarn that retains the same quality as virgin nylon. It maintains the durability, elasticity, and performance characteristics of conventional nylon, ensuring that sustainable choices do not compromise on product quality.
The beauty of ECONYL® is its circular nature. It can be recycled, reclaimed and re-formed endlessly, allowing us to make new products without depleting new resources.
It is equal in quality to virgin nylons, yet has a significantly lower impact on the environment. For every 10,000 tonnes of ECONYL® raw material created, we:
- Eliminate 12.6 thousand tonnes of waste
- Save 70,000 barrels of crude oil
- Avoid 42,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions
In addition to reducing waste, ECONYL® regenerated nylon makes a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, reducing the global warming impact of nylon by up to 80% compared to oil-based materials.
They rescue waste from oceans and landfills around the world, including the USA, Canada, Greece, Egypt, Thailand and Norway. ECONYL specifically looks for items containing nylon, including used carpets, clothing and discarded fishing nets.
What we love above all this about this material is how close to home it is for us. While it may be reasonably well-known that the fabric is made it Italy, it was even more exciting for us to learn that the first depolymerization system was introduced in Ljubljana, Slovenia, right next to us.
By choosing ECONYL®, we are not only helping to reduce waste, but also actively participating in the global movement towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. Our commitment goes beyond fashion – it’s a pledge to make a positive impact on our planet, one recycled fibre at a time.
