Sustainable Swimwear: Ethical Brands, Eco Fabrics & How To Avoid Greenwashing

Key Takeaways

• Sustainable swimwear means eco-conscious fabrics, ethical manufacturing, durability, and transparency—not just marketing buzzwords slapped on a hangtag. The difference between genuine sustainability and greenwashing comes down to verifiable practices across the entire supply chain.

• Leading brands now use recycled nylon (like ECONYL®), REPREVE® polyester, and plant-based fibers while publishing factory standards and certifications such as B Corp, OEKO-TEX®, and Fair Trade. These materials can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to virgin synthetics.

• What makes our sustainable swimwear different: a traceable supply chain, strict ethical manufacturing partners with documented fair wages and safe conditions, durable construction tested for hundreds of hours of wear, and honest impact reporting you can actually read.

• Watch for greenwashing signals before any purchase: vague “eco” claims, lack of factory information, no third-party certifications, and overproduction of trend-based styles that end up in landfills after one summer.

• This article provides a practical brand checklist, fabric guide, and FAQs so you can feel confident choosing your next swimsuit for summer and beyond—without the doubt that comes from unclear marketing.

What Makes Swimwear Truly Sustainable & Ethical?

Swimwear sustainability presents unique challenges that don’t apply to a cotton t-shirt or linen dress. Synthetic fibers dominate the category for good reason—they withstand chlorine, salt water, sunscreen, and constant stretching. Most suits travel through complex global supply chains before reaching your cart, touching dozens of hands across multiple countries. Understanding what “sustainable” actually means in this context requires looking beyond simple labels.

Lower environmental impact across the full lifecycle. Sustainable swimwear reduces harm at every stage: sourcing recycled materials instead of virgin petroleum-based synthetics, using low-impact dyes and water-efficient processes, cutting fabric efficiently to minimize waste, sewing in facilities powered by renewable energy, shipping in minimal packaging, and designing for longevity rather than one-season disposability. A suit that checks one box but ignores the others isn’t truly sustainable.

Ethical manufacturing with verifiable standards. Ethical production means living wages, safe working conditions, reasonable hours, and independent audits from organizations like WRAP, BSCI, or Fair Trade. The best factories in places like Portugal, Italy, Bali, and the USA provide documentation of their practices—not vague promises. When a brand can name the facility, the country, and the certification, you’re dealing with accountability rather than aspiration.

Durability and timeless design as sustainability pillars. A suit you wear for five summers beats a “green” suit that falls apart after one season. This means reinforced stitching, chlorine-resistant fabric, double-lined construction, and classic silhouettes that don’t look dated by next year. One pieces with clean lines, well-constructed bikinis, and versatile colors create a collection you’ll actually use.

Social responsibility and inclusive practices. Genuinely ethical brands extend their values to sizing (offering sizes 0–24 and beyond), respectful imagery that represents real bodies, and gender-inclusive fits. Sustainability isn’t only about the environment—it’s about creating products and practices that support the world we want to live in.

The sections that follow will connect back to these criteria, giving you concrete ways to evaluate any swimwear brand’s claims.

Leading Sustainable Swimwear Fabrics (And What They Really Mean)

Most eco-friendly swimwear still relies on synthetic materials because natural fibers simply can’t perform in water the way we need them to. The critical difference lies in where those synthetics come from: virgin petroleum extraction versus recycled waste streams versus emerging bio-based alternatives. Here’s what each major fabric type actually delivers.

ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon

ECONYL® has become the gold standard for sustainable swim fabric. Produced by Italian company Aquafil, it’s created through a four-step regeneration process: collecting waste like ghost fishing nets from the oceans, industrial yarn scraps, and old carpet; shredding everything into small pieces; breaking those pieces down into their original monomers through depolymerization; and finally repolymerizing them into yarn that’s chemically identical to virgin nylon. The result? Carbon emissions up to 90% lower than new nylon production and reduced crude oil use, with the ability to regenerate the material endlessly. Brands like ours (Do Good Swimwear), Patagonia, Reformation, and Galamaar rely on ECONYL® for its strength and ocean health benefits. The limitation: it still sheds microplastics during washing, so a microfibre-catching bag is worth the investment. 

Key Carbon Impact Benefits of ECONYL®
Reduced Emissions: For every 10,000 tons of ECONYL® produced, around 61,500 to 65,100 tons of CO2 emissions are avoided compared to virgin nylon.
Oil Savings: The process saves approximately 70,000 barrels of crude oil for the same amount of material.
Lower Global Warming Potential: It reduces the global warming impact by up to 90% when compared to nylon made from fossil fuels.
How It Works (Circular Economy)
Rescue: Waste materials like old carpets, fishing nets, and fabric scraps are collected.
Regenerate: These wastes are broken down and purified to create new, high-quality nylon (Polyamide 6).
Remake: This regenerated nylon is processed into yarn for new products.
Reimagine: ECONYL® can be infinitely recycled, closing the loop.

Why It Matters:
Resource Efficiency: It turns waste into a valuable resource, diverting it from landfills and oceans.
Energy Savings: The regeneration process requires less energy than producing virgin nylon from oil.
Supports Sustainability Goals: It helps industries like fashion and automotive meet sustainability targets and mandates.
In Simple Terms: Using ECONYL® means less oil is drilled, fewer greenhouse gases are released, and existing waste is utilized, leading to a much smaller carbon footprint for products made from it. 

REPREVE® and Recycled Polyester

REPREVE®, made by Unifi, transforms post-consumer plastic bottles into high-performance fabric. The process breaks bottles into flakes, melts them into pellets, and spins those pellets into yarn. The resulting polyester cuts CO2 emissions by approximately 75% compared to virgin production and diverts plastic from landfills and oceans. Do Good Swimwear, Vitamin A, Wolven, and Carve Designs use REPREVE® blends for their stretch, colorfastness, and durability. Like all recycled synthetics, microfibre shedding remains a concern, but you’re still preventing new petroleum extraction while giving existing plastic a longer life.

Key Carbon Impact Reductions of Repreve:
Greenhouse Gases (GHG): Up to 41-42% reduction compared to virgin polyester filament yarn and up to 77% for fiber from textile waste.
Fossil Fuels: Up to 66% less depletion compared to virgin filament yarn.
Water: Significant reductions in water scarcity and consumption.
How REPREVE Reduces Carbon Footprint
Waste Diversion: Collects and recycles post-consumer plastic bottles, keeping them out of landfills and oceans, reducing the need for new plastic production.
Energy Efficiency: The recycling process for REPREVE uses considerably less energy than creating virgin polyester from petroleum.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Independent studies, like those using the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, confirm these environmental benefits, providing transparent data for brands and consumers.
Tangible Benefits
Lower Carbon Footprint: Helps brands and consumers lower the climate impact of their products.
Resource Conservation: Reduces reliance on fossil fuels and conserves freshwater.
Traceability: REPREVE's U TRUST verification ensures authenticity, adding transparency to sustainability claims.

Plant-Based and Bio-Based Polyamides

Fabrics like EVO by Fulgar® represent the next frontier. Made partially from castor bean oil rather than petroleum, these bio-based polyamides offer a lighter carbon footprint and a notably soft feel against skin. Reformation has incorporated EVO into some swim styles. Current limitations include higher price points, smaller production volumes, and the need to blend with conventional elastane for stretch. These fabrics won’t dominate the market tomorrow, but they signal where sustainable swim is heading.

OEKO-TEX® Certified and PFA-Free Fabrics

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification means finished textiles have been tested for hundreds of harmful substances. Brands should prioritize this certification along with commitments to PFA/PFAS-free production—important because these “forever chemicals” persist in the environment and accumulate in bodies. For fabric that contacts your skin in water for hours, this matters.

The Elastane Reality Check

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: virtually every swimsuit requires 5–25% elastane (spandex) for stretch and recovery. Elastane cannot currently be recycled and isn’t biodegradable, which complicates end-of-life options for even the most sustainable suits. For now, “more sustainable” means better inputs plus longer product life—not fully circular or compostable performance swimwear. Even with fabrics like Amni Soul Eco which is supposed to be compostable, there will still be some degree of stretch/ spandex in the suit to help with the shape, so even though this is a step in the right direction, it's a bit more complicated than just putting it in a compost bin at the end of its usable life.  

Ethical & Sustainable Swimwear Brands to Know in 2026

The sustainable swimwear market has matured significantly, moving from niche players to established brands with verifiable practices. This section profiles notable names combining sustainable materials with traceable, ethical manufacturing.

Do Good Surf Club, a BIPOC women-owned, small LA-based label, uses ECONYL® and REPREVE® for retro silhouettes manufactured in ethical LA and Bali factories with documented fair wages with OEKO-TEX® certification, GRS certification, water-saving digital printing and fully recyclable packaging as well as a repair incentive program. Working with community based and environmental conservation non profits, Do Good is poised for positive environmental and social impact. If you love a retro vibe with modern sustainability, it's a brand worth exploring. Hate to toot our own horn, but of course we have to mention our brand on this list if you're new here! 

Summersalt built its reputation on data-driven fit, using 1.5 million measurements from 10,000 women to engineer suits that work on real bodies. Their recycled polyamide swimwear comes from WRAP and BSCI-certified factories, with inclusive sizing and accessible mid-range pricing (typically $75–$120). Signature details include bold color-blocking and long-torso one pieces designed for variety in fit preferences.

Andie focuses intensely on comfort and fit support through quizzes, virtual consultations, and detailed size guides that help you find your perfect piece. Their use of recycled nylon and push toward circular fashion practices makes them a strong choice for women seeking timeless one pieces and supportive options for larger bust sizes.

Patagonia remains the benchmark for outdoor-focused sustainability. Their B Corp status, Fair Trade Certified production on many styles, and 1% for the Planet commitment back up decades of environmental advocacy. Their rugged, reversible swimwear is built to surf and withstand serious open-water adventure. Patagonia’s transparent supply chain documentation and repair ethos set them apart—they’d rather you fix your old suit than buy a new one.

Reformation brings fashion-forward style to sustainable swim. Using ECONYL® and EVO by Fulgar® with OEKO-TEX® certification, their suits look like they belong in Paris as much as California. Public sustainability reports, carbon tracking per garment, and limited-edition drops designed to reduce overproduction distinguish them from fast-fashion competitors.

Jessica Rey Swimwear uses EcoLux fabrics regenerated from waste including old fishing nets, offering modest silhouettes like swim dresses and tankinis. Ethical, sweatshop-free production happens in the USA with small-batch manufacturing that keeps quality high and waste low.

TomboyX earned B Corp status while pioneering gender-inclusive cuts including unisuits, racerbacks, and swim shorts. OEKO-TEX® fabrics and sizing up to 6X demonstrate their commitment to bodies of all types. Their LGBTQ+ representation and body diversity aren’t marketing afterthoughts—they’re core to the brand’s identity.

Youswim takes a unique approach with UK-made, one-size-flexible suits woven in England. These designs adapt to fit multiple traditional sizes and accommodate weight fluctuations, pregnancy, and postpartum changes. Their Plastic Negative certification and minimalist color palette appeal to those who want less decision fatigue.

 

What Makes Our Sustainable Swimwear Different?

We’ve studied what works across the sustainable swimwear landscape—the traceable materials, the ethical factory relationships, the fit innovation—and built our brand to meet those standards without compromise. We’re not just another recycled-nylon label adding “eco” to our tags. Here’s what that means in practice.

Fabric Sourcing and Traceability

We use ECONYL® sourced from Aquafil’s certified regeneration facilities in Italy, with batch-level traceability that lets us account for exactly where our materials originated and REPREVE, sourced from certified facilities in North Carolina. Our minimum recycled content sits at 78%—not the industry-minimum 10% that some brands hide behind. Every fabric lot carries OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification, ensuring you can feel good about what touches your skin in the water.

Ethical Manufacturing Partners

Our suits are sewn in a small, family-run factories in Los Angeles and Bali that we’ve partnered with since 2019. We chose them after visiting dozens of facilities across the US, Central/ South America, and Asia, and confirming their wage documentation, working hour policies, and health and safety practices. Workers earn above-market wages, operate within regulated hours, and have access to healthcare, time off, and report good quality of life/ work-life balance.

Design, Fit, and Longevity

Every suit features reinforced seams in stress areas, double-lined fronts for support and opacity, and coatings tested to withstand over 150 hours of chlorine and sunscreen exposure. We fit-test across sizes XS–3X on real bodies—not a single fit model—because we want every girl and woman to feel confident the moment she puts on her suit. Our design philosophy prioritizes strength and durability over fragile trends.

Measurable Impact and Transparency

We report our impact annually: number of organizations helped, plastic bottles diverted, kilograms of regenerated nylon used, and estimated CO2 per suit. You can check our 2025 sustainability and community impact report on our website or if you sign up for our newsletter, we release quarterly impact reports. When you order from us, you know exactly what you’re supporting.

Thoughtful Collections, Not Fast Trends

Our collections are intentionally small. Core styles carry over year to year, and we choose colors and patterns designed to remain relevant across multiple summers rather than chasing whatever shade or style is trending this week. You won’t find us dropping dozens of new styles every month—that’s fast fashion wearing a sustainable costume. We create pieces meant to stay in your rotation for years, not leave your closet after one season.

 

Choosing the Right Sustainable Swimsuit for You

The “best” sustainable swimsuit is one you’ll actually wear for years—which means fit, activity level, and care habits matter as much as materials. Here’s how to find your perfect match.

Fit and Body Type Considerations

Data-driven fit approaches have raised the bar for inclusive sizing. When shopping, read detailed size charts rather than assuming your usual size will work. Seek out reviews from people with similar bodies. Look for features that support your needs: adjustable straps for customizable support, long-torso options if standard lengths ride up, and coverage preferences that let you feel confident whether you’re catching waves or lounging poolside.

Intended Use: Sport vs Leisure

Your activities should drive your choice. Surfing, swimming laps, and open-water adventure demand secure straps, higher necklines, and cuts that stay in place through movement—think Patagonia or Carve Designs. Pool lounging and beach days allow more freedom: delicate straps, cut-outs, and underwire tops for shape. Match fabric thickness and construction to how you’ll actually use the suit.

Fabric Trade-Offs

Choose ECONYL® if ocean waste reduction matters most to you. Opt for REPREVE® if diverting plastic bottles from landfills is your priority. Consider bio-based options like EVO if carbon footprint reduction drives your decisions. All require the same care consideration: wash in a microfibre-catching bag when possible to minimize plastic shed into waterways.

Care for Longevity

Specific habits extend suit life by multiple seasons:

• Rinse with cool fresh water after every wear

• Avoid wringing—gently press out water instead

• Dry flat in the shade, never in direct sunlight or a dryer

• Rotate between suits during vacation weeks to give elastic recovery time

• Skip hot tubs when possible, as high temperatures break down fibers faster

Budget and Value

Sustainable swimwear typically ranges from $60–$180 in 2026. Rather than hunting for the lowest price, calculate cost-per-wear. A $120 suit worn 50 times over four summers costs $2.40 per use. A $35 fast-fashion suit that falls apart after 10 wears costs $3.50 per use—and contributes to landfill waste. Quality pays for itself while supporting ethical practices. It also costs more to use recycled or regenerated fabrics vs virgin nylon and working with ethical, certified, sustainable manufacturers also costs more than finding a cheap manufacturer with no labor laws or certifications. 

FAQs re: Sustainable Swimwear

These questions address common concerns not fully covered above, especially around maintenance, microplastics, accessibility, and verification.

Is recycled swimwear really better for the ocean if it still sheds microplastics?

Recycled fabrics reduce demand for new fossil-fuel-based materials and help remove existing waste like ghost fishing nets from marine environments. However, microfibre shedding during washing remains a legitimate concern across all synthetic swimwear. You can minimize impact by washing suits less frequently (a rinse often suffices), using microfibre-catching bags or laundry filters, and running cold, gentle cycles. The net environmental benefit of recycled materials still outweighs virgin synthetics, but thoughtful care amplifies that advantage.

Can I find truly sustainable swimwear on a tight budget?

Most leading sustainable brands price suits between $60–$150, which can feel steep. Options exist: buy secondhand from platforms like Poshmark or Depop, check brand resale sections, watch for seasonal sales, or prioritize purchasing one high-quality suit instead of several cheaper alternatives. A single durable piece serves you better—and costs less long-term—than multiple disposable suits that need constant replacement.

How long should a good sustainable swimsuit last?

With proper care, a well-made suit from quality recycled or bio-based fabric should last 3–5 summers of regular use, sometimes longer. Signs it’s time to retire a suit include thinning fabric, significant loss of elasticity (the suit doesn’t spring back after stretching), or see-through areas. When your suit reaches end of life, repurpose it for training, home pools, or crafting projects rather than sending it straight to landfill.

Are natural-fiber swimsuits like cotton or hemp more sustainable?

While natural fibers sound environmentally friendly, they perform poorly in swimwear applications. Cotton stretches out, takes forever to dry, and breaks down quickly in chlorinated or salty water. Hemp shares similar limitations. For active swimwear that needs to withstand real conditions, high-quality recycled synthetics with good care remain the most practical sustainable choice. Natural fibers work better for cover-ups, boardshorts for casual wear, and kaftans meant for lounging rather than swimming.

How can I verify a brand’s sustainability claims before buying?

Take these steps before adding anything to your cart: check for specific fabric names (ECONYL®, REPREVE®) with exact percentages rather than vague “recycled blend” language. Look for independent certifications—B Corp, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX®, WRAP, or BSCI—that require third-party verification. Read sustainability or impact reports dated 2023–2026 that include actual numbers rather than aspirational goals. Search for third-party reviews from organizations like Good On You that evaluate labor and environmental practices independently. Brands with genuine commitment make this information easy to find; those hiding behind vague claims make you hunt for answers.

Your next swimsuit purchase is a vote for the kind of fashion industry you want to support. Armed with this knowledge, you can enter any shopping experience—online or in-store—with the confidence to distinguish genuine sustainability from hollow marketing. Start with one well-made suit that fits your life and your values, then love it for years to come.