Dive Brief:
- Speedo has debuted its PowerFLEX Eco swimwear made entirely of ECONYL Nylon 6, a recycled material comprised of old carpets and abandoned fishing nets.
- In order to create the nylon, Speedo sends its manufacturing scraps to Aquafil where they're upcycled into the ECONYL material. Aquafil blends the scraps with the appropriate fibers to create the recycled fabric, which is made of 26% "Xtra Life lycra fiber" and 74% nylon.
- Speedo claims that the eco-friendly swimsuits are resistant of chlorine, suntan lotion, skin oils, and stretching — allowing the suit to maintain its shape up to 10 times longer than traditional swimwear.
Dive Insight:
Speedo is following in the footsteps of other legacy brands that are making an effort to turn waste into fashion. Levi's and H&M have both recently partnered with I:CO, a Swiss company that collects used and unsold clothing and repurposes it into usable textiles.
"We are challenging apparel manufacturers to be more sustainable and restructure their supply chain to divert waste from landfill," said Giulio Bonazzi, chairman and CEO of Aquafil.
In addition to diverting waste from landfills, some companies — like Adidas — are diverting waste from oceans by manufacturing marine debris into wearable products. No matter how companies are doing it, creating clothing from recycled waste is the push that the nation needs to reach zero waste and sustain a clean environment.
