Sustainable Swimwear: Ethical Brands in Europe Worth Buying
Sustainable swimwear from verified ethical brands in Europe — made from regenerated ocean waste, recycled nylon, and post-consumer plastic. Same performance, without the environmental footprint of virgin synthetic production. All in one place: Shop Like You Give A Damn (SLYGAD).
🌊 ECONYL® recycled nylon — the dominant material on this page, made from fishing nets, carpet waste, and industrial plastic diverted from oceans and landfill
♻️ REPREVE® recycled polyester — post-consumer PET bottles regenerated into swimwear fabric
🚫 No virgin petroleum-derived nylon or polyester — all brands on SLYGAD’s swimwear section use recycled or certified sustainable materials
🐟 Chlorine and saltwater resistant — recycled nylon performs identically to virgin nylon in water conditions
🐄 100% vegan — SLYGAD platform requirement across all listed brands
🏅 ECONYL® Oeko-Tex certified — independently tested for harmful substances including PFAS and heavy metals
Why Swimwear Is the Category Where Material Choice Matters Most
Conventional swimwear is made almost entirely from virgin nylon or polyester, both petroleum-derived synthetic fibres, both non-biodegradable, and both produced from extracted fossil fuels through energy-intensive industrial processes. Virgin nylon production generates significant nitrous oxide emissions, a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential approximately 270 times that of CO₂ over 100 years, according to the US EPA.
Swimwear also sits at an intersection of two compounding environmental pressures: it is produced from petroleum, and it is used in the ocean, an environment already under significant stress from plastic pollution. Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, according to a landmark 2015 study in Science. Abandoned and lost fishing nets alone account for roughly 10% of ocean plastic by weight — an estimated 640,000 tonnes drifting in marine ecosystems where they continue to trap and kill marine life indefinitely.
The material that made your last conventional swimsuit was extracted from petroleum to become a synthetic fibre. When that swimsuit ends its life — in a landfill — it will persist for centuries as plastic. The material in the swimwear on this page was pulled from the ocean or from waste streams before it could cause more damage, regenerated into new fibre through an industrial process, and sewn into a product that performs identically to what it replaced.
That is not a subtle difference.
The Sustainable Swimwear Materials Explained
The Natural Fibre Limitation in Swimwear
Unlike sportswear, where organic cotton and TENCEL offer viable alternatives to synthetic fibres for many activities, swimwear is a category where natural fibres have meaningful limitations. Organic cotton absorbs water heavily, takes a long time to dry, loses shape when wet, and lacks the chlorine and saltwater resistance needed for repeated pool or ocean use.
This is not a failure of sustainable fashion. It is an honest recognition that different applications require different materials. For swimwear, recycled synthetic fibres (ECONYL, REPREVE) are the most responsible available option. The environmental benefit comes from the recycled source, not from biodegradability.
ECONYL® — Regenerated Nylon from Waste
ECONYL is a branded regenerated nylon fibre produced by Aquafil, an Italian company. The raw material is nylon waste collected from oceans and landfills: abandoned fishing nets, carpet flooring from demolition sites, nylon fabric scraps from textile factories, and industrial plastic. This waste is depolymerised, broken down to its chemical components, and then repolymerised into new nylon yarn of equivalent quality to virgin nylon.
The key properties:
- Infinitely recyclable — ECONYL can be depolymerised and regenerated repeatedly without loss of quality
- Up to 90% lower greenhouse gas emissions vs virgin nylon production, per Aquafil’s lifecycle assessment
- Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified — independently tested for over 100 harmful substances
- Identical performance to virgin nylon — same chlorine resistance, same UV resistance, same durability, same stretch with elastane
The honest note: ECONYL does not biodegrade, and it does shed microplastics during washing, identically to virgin nylon. The environmental improvement is in the production end of the lifecycle (avoided extraction, avoided petroleum use, reduced emissions) rather than the end-of-life. Swimwear, unlike sportswear, is typically rinsed rather than machine-washed after each use, which substantially reduces microplastic shedding compared to a weekly-washed gym legging.
Brands like Guppyfriend make microplastic filter bags that capture synthetic microfibres shed during machine washing. Not a perfect solution, but a meaningful reduction in what reaches the water system.
REPREVE® — Recycled Polyester from Plastic Bottles
REPREVE is a branded recycled polyester fibre produced by Unifi, made from post-consumer PET plastic bottles. The bottles are collected, cleaned, processed into chip, and then spun into polyester yarn. Unifi reports that over 16 billion plastic bottles have been recycled into REPREVE fibre to date.
REPREVE carries GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification and Oeko-Tex certification. Like ECONYL, it performs identically to virgin polyester — same durability, same moisture management, same resistance to chlorine and UV — while removing the petroleum extraction stage from the production chain.
One honest note: converting PET bottles into polyester fabric is technically downcycling rather than recycling. A plastic bottle can be recycled back into a bottle multiple times; once it becomes a garment, it cannot re-enter the bottle recycling stream and will eventually end up in landfill. The material has been diverted from one waste pathway but placed into a different, slower one.
This contrasts with ECONYL, which is genuinely circular; nylon can be depolymerised and repolymerised back to virgin-equivalent quality indefinitely, meaning ECONYL garments can, in principle, be regenerated into new ECONYL. For swimwear where ECONYL is available, it is the stronger choice. REPREVE is a meaningful improvement over virgin polyester, but it should be understood as a step rather than a solution.
Recycled Elastane (Lycra)
Standard elastane (Lycra, spandex) provides the stretch that makes swimwear functional. Several brands on this page now use recycled elastane, Lycra derived from post-industrial waste rather than virgin petroleum. It is a less common material than recycled nylon or polyester, but its presence in a swimsuit means that even the stretch component avoids virgin fossil fuel extraction.
Sustainable Swimwear Brands in Europe Featured by SLYGAD
- Anekdot — Berlin-based swimwear label built almost entirely around ECONYL, a regenerated nylon yarn made from recovered fishing nets and ocean waste, and PETA-approved vegan.
- Averie — Swiss sustainable swimwear brand offering both women’s and men’s styles in recycled fabrics including ECONYL, with a focus on clean, timeless cuts.
- Bask in the Sun — French brand producing swimwear from recycled materials, with an emphasis on responsible manufacturing and reef-conscious design.
- CALAMOON — Sustainable swimwear brand carried on SLYGAD, meeting the platform’s vegan, fair, and more sustainable criteria across production.
- Clotsy — Spanish certified sustainable brand working with GOTS-certified organic cotton and recycled materials across its collections.
- DEDICATED — Swedish slow fashion brand holding GOTS and Fair Trade certifications, offering swimwear made from recycled and organic materials with full production transparency.
- DIRTS — Sustainable swimwear brand using recycled ocean-origin materials, offered for men on SLYGAD.
- Inaska — Swimwear brand built around recycled synthetics including rPET and ECONYL, designed for women with a focus on performance and longevity.
- KnowledgeCotton Apparel — Danish B Corp-certified menswear brand working with organic and recycled materials, with a strong commitment to supply chain traceability and transparency.
- Leela Cotton — German brand specialising in GOTS-certified organic cotton clothing and swimwear, known for soft natural fabrics and simple, wearable styles.
- LOVJOI — German sustainable fashion brand using recycled and organic materials, with nature-inspired prints and a cheerful aesthetic.
- MAHLA — Sustainable women’s swimwear brand available on SLYGAD, using recycled fabrics and meeting the platform’s vegan and fair production standards.
- MATONA — German slow fashion brand producing women’s swimwear from sustainable materials with a clean, minimalist design approach.
- Narwal — Sustainable men’s swimwear brand offering bold printed swim shorts made from recycled materials.
- nice to meet me — Women’s swimwear brand working with recycled fabrics and committed to more responsible production practices.
- Nénés — French swimwear label producing bikinis and swimsuits from sustainable materials, known for playful prints and a strong aesthetic identity.
- OCEANCHILD — Sustainable swimwear brand with an ocean conservation focus, using recycled materials to reduce impact on the seas it celebrates.
- Olly Lingerie — Sustainable lingerie and swimwear brand meeting SLYGAD’s vegan and fair production requirements.
- RAVENS VIEW IBIZA — Premium Ibiza-based sustainable swimwear brand using recycled fabrics, offering elevated resort-ready styles for both women and men.
- Savara Intimates — Sustainable swimwear and intimates brand using responsible materials and ethical manufacturing practices.
- Thinking MU — Barcelona-based B Corp and GOTS-certified brand using organic cotton and recycled materials, known for bold prints and a values-driven ethos that goes well beyond greenwashing.
- ThokkThokk — German brand producing GOTS-certified, Fair Wear Foundation-compliant swimwear and clothing from organic cotton.
- Trendsplant — Spanish sustainable brand using 100% recycled polyester for its men’s swimwear, recognised for graphic-heavy, artist-collaborative designs.
- True North — Sustainable swimwear brand available for both women and men on SLYGAD, using recycled synthetic fabrics and meeting the platform’s ethical standards.
- TWOTHIRDS — Spanish ocean-inspired label using recycled ocean-bound plastics and other sustainable materials, with a portion of proceeds directed toward ocean conservation.
- Underprotection — Danish B Corp-certified brand producing sustainable swimwear and lingerie from organic and recycled materials, with a focus on inclusive sizing and fair production.
- Understatement — Swedish sustainable swimwear brand offering minimalist, versatile styles in recycled fabrics, designed to mix and match.
- Vanilla Sand — Sustainable swimwear brand for women and men, using recycled materials and available across multiple styles on SLYGAD.
- Woodlike — Sustainable brand meeting SLYGAD’s vegan, fair, and more sustainable criteria, offering women’s swimwear made from responsible materials.
How to Care for Sustainable Swimwear and Make It Last
Swimwear is one of the categories where care has the greatest impact on lifespan. A well-cared-for recycled nylon suit will last significantly longer than a poorly cared-for one, and longevity is the single biggest environmental variable in any garment.
After every use: rinse in cold fresh water immediately. This removes chlorine, salt, and sunscreen residue, the three main causes of fabric degradation in swimwear. Do not leave a swimsuit sitting wet and unwashed.
Washing: hand wash in cold water with a mild unscented detergent. Avoid machine washing where possible; the mechanical agitation accelerates fibre breakdown and microplastic shedding. When machine washing is necessary, use a cold, gentle cycle.
Drying: air dry flat or hanging, away from direct sunlight. Do not tumble dry; heat degrades elastane, causing the garment to lose shape and stretch faster.
Sunscreen and oils: oil-based sunscreens and tanning oils are the most damaging substances for swimwear fabric. The oils break down the ECONYL or rPET fibre coating over time and degrade elastane. Apply sunscreen before putting on your swimsuit where possible, or allow it to absorb fully before contact with the fabric. The Sol de Ibiza and Suntribe mineral sunscreens featured in our sunscreen guide are non-oil-based formulas that are gentler on swimwear.
Storage: store dry, not folded under other items (which deforms the shape). A breathable bag or a drawer, not a sealed plastic bag.
A well-maintained ECONYL swimsuit at €80 that lasts 5 seasons is a better choice on most metrics, such as cost per use, environmental footprint, and fabric integrity, than three €30 fast fashion swimsuits replaced annually.
Our Verdict
Swimwear is one of the cleaner categories to navigate in sustainable fashion, because the material logic is relatively clear: ECONYL and REPREVE are the verified, certified options; they perform identically to virgin synthetic swimwear; and the environmental benefit of diverting ocean plastic and reducing petroleum extraction is real and independently documented.
The brands on SLYGAD’s swimwear section have been verified against the platform’s 32-point criteria. Inaska is the standout for women’s swimwear specifically: the ECONYL material is confirmed and quantified, the reversible design extends useful life per piece, and the fit-focused design approach is well-documented. For men’s swimwear, Thinking MU brings B Corp credentials and artistic distinction; Trendsplant and KnowledgeCotton Apparel offer certified organic cotton alternatives for buyers who want to avoid synthetic fibres entirely.
The microplastic shedding issue applies to ECONYL as it does to all synthetic fibres — rinse rather than machine wash after each use, and shedding is minimal. The honest summary: this is not perfect swimwear from a zero-impact perspective. It is substantially better than conventional swimwear, made from verified recycled sources, by brands with independently audited ethical credentials.
For something that spends time in the ocean, that matters.
Shop Sustainable Swimwear Now
Women’s Swimwear
| Category | Shop |
|---|---|
| Bikini Sets | Shop Women → |
| Bikini Tops | Shop Women → |
| Bikini Bottoms | Shop Women → |
| One-Piece Swimsuits | Shop Women → |
| All Women’s Swimwear | Browse All Items → |
Men’s Swimwear
| All Men’s Swimwear | Browse All Items → |
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