It’s World Oceans Day on the 8thJune 2018 and this year we’re delighted to be teaming up with new sustainable and body positive swimwear brand Deakin and Blue to help reduce, remove & recycle additional waste from our oceans. For every Deakin and Blue swimsuit sold, we’ll be removing 2kg of trash from beaches – so you can buy a swimsuit safe in the knowledge that your purchase is an eco-conscious, planet friendly move.
But why Deakin and Blue? We were impressed when we first came across this sustainable and eco-friendly swimwear brand, with their swimsuits made from regenerated fishing nets, so we caught up with them to find out more about their brand and how they make their cossies.
Who is Deakin and Blue?
Deakin and Blue is a new sustainable and body positive swimwear brand. We make transformational swimwear that women feel incredible in – whether you’re sunbathing, swimming or anything in between. 500,000 women have given up swimming in the last ten years because of body image concerns: we’re on a mission to change that. However, we’re also on a mission to ensure that every business choice that we make has a positive social and environmental impact.
How is your swimwear sustainable?
To us, being sustainable is all about making high quality swimwear which has a positive environmental impact and which is made to last.
- All of our swimwear is made from ECONYL® – a 100% regenerated nylon fibre which is made from used fishing nets and other nylon waste.
- We manufacture our swimwear in a small London factory and we produce in small production runs to minimise unwanted stock.
- All our suppliers, manufacturers and partners are OEKO-TEX® certified where applicable which means that they are environmentally and socially responsible – they pay fairly, use chemicals safely and minimise waste where possible.
- We have sourced 100% reusable and recyclable packaging materials and have worked to remove unnecessary plastic from every stage of our processes, in order to avoid contributing additional plastic to our planet.
- And finally we use fabrics which are twice as resistant to chlorine, sun cream and oil than standard Lycra® in order to ensure our swimsuits are high quality items made to last.
Can you tell us a bit more about ECONYL® and the regeneration process?
Absolutely. We work closely with the team at ECONYL® who use a four step process to rescue, regenerate, remake and reimagine waste as new products.
RESCUE: In the first stage, the ECONYL® Regeneration System starts with rescuing waste, like fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring and industrial plastic from landfills and oceans all over the world. That waste is then sorted and cleaned to recover all of the nylon possible.
REGENERATE:In the second stage a radical regeneration and purification process recycles the nylon waste right back to its original purity. That means ECONYL® regenerated nylon is exactly the same as virgin nylon.
REMAKE & REIMAGINE: At this point, ECONYL® regenerated nylon is processed into a yarn which we then use to create brand new products.
The incredible thing about the ECONYL® process is that the remade nylon has the potential to be recycled infinitely, without ever losing its quality. This paves the way for a circular economy where waste is never wasted and where trash can become treasure through a constant process of reuse and regeneration.
And so what more can we be doing this Ocean Day to be more environmentally conscious in our choices?
Firstly, we can all make a series of small changes to our every day lives which can contribute significantly to reducing the amount of waste we contribute to the planet. Easy things like saying no to a straw, using reusable water bottles and coffee cups and avoiding single use plastics like disposable razors and plastic toothbrushes all helps.
If you’re feeling like you want to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in, you can do a #2minutebeachclean on your nearest coastline or street. By spending just two minutes picking up loose rubbish, you help to reduce the amount of waste that will find its way into our oceans and which might go on to harm our marine life.
And finally, shopping consciously is a great way to start! There are lots of brilliant brands like Deakin and Blue designing and manufacturing beautiful products which either use regenerated materials or which minimise their environmental impact. Look out for brands which talk openly about the materials they use, where they source them from and where their products are made. The great thing about buying from brands like these is that you can treat yourself to beautiful products (like a new cossie!) safe in the knowledge that your purchase is helping to save the planet!