20+ of the Best Sustainable Ethical Swimwear Brands for Women 2025.

Nu-in is a German company making fashion-forward certified vegan garments from recycled materials and organic cotton in factories in Portugal, Turkey and China. They say they limit their carbon emissions as much as possible and offset what they can’t. Their website gives detailed information on the materials and factories they use and each garment has a QR code that will tell you where it was made. Also some of the factories the use have water and fabric saving technology. Their boxes are a blend of recycled and virgin paper form FSC certified sources and their mailers are certified compostable plastic.

Danish brand Underprotection makes their swimwear from recycled polyester in a small factory in New Dehli, India. They only use certified materials and in 2013 they obtained the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) young designer license.

Two Thirds is a Spanish brand offering clothing from men and women, some of which are made from organic or swimwear made partially with nylon recycled from salvaged fishing nets.

La Bom is a Spanish brand of swimwear made from Econyl in factories in Spain. They run production in small batches and in a way that minimises fabric waste. They use recycled and/or compostable packaging and their tissue is bleach-free paper printed with soy ink. Their factory doesn’t wrap their products individually in plastic bags, and any plastic bags they receive from the factory is returned to them for reuse.

Emroce in Italy make swimwear from Econyl, a synthetic fibre made from plastic waste. They also use recycled paper collected from the local supermarket to make their tessellating patterns, which create less waste. They’ve purposely designed their garments so as to create as little waste as possible at the cutting state. The company sourced a thread with high stretch to ensure durability and have been trialling more sustainable alternatives to the elastic bands but have yet to find a replacement that is as durable.

Italian brand UND make timeless swimwear from recycled lycra in Italy and claim to only work with suppliers that have instigated efficiency programs and investments in terms of water efficiency, renewable energy, waste management, and low CO2 emissions.

CasaGin make simple, elegant swimwear from Econyl blended with elastane, in Italy. The work with companies that are all within 70km of their head office, keeping their carbon emissions down. Their packaging is recycled card and compostable bioplastic. They also do a active wear range.

Averie swim is a US company with a European warehouse and factories in Europe. They make swimsuits and bikinis from recycled Econyl and elastane, which are shipped in cotton bags in compostable mailers that can be used for returns. They have a wide range of sizes and say that they inspect factories regularly to ensure fair working conditions, but there is no mention of independent certification.

Rubymoon is a UK-based swimwear company offering products made from plastic salvaged from the oceans. 100% of the net profits generated by RubyMoon are lent out as small loans, through lendwithcare.org, to empower women entrepreneurs in eleven nations. Also RubyMoon uses ECONYL® nylon yarn recycled from old fishing nets and other waste material and Xtra Life Lycra, a chlorine resistant fabric durable that lasts for more than 100 hours of exposure. RubyMoon swimwear is validated to produce 42% fewer emissions compared to other high street swimwear by The Princes Accounting For Sustainability Project conducted by Ecodesignbloom.com. In addition RubyMoon claims that all of their products are manufactured in an ethical and transparent supply chain. You can buy their swimwear from the RubyMoonSwim etsy store  or through the social enterprise The Big Issue

Finisterre is a UK-based company that promises innovation built to last from responsibly sourced fabrics and factories while developing relationships with people they believe in. Their sustainable swimwear is made from ECONYL®, a nylon yarn recycled from old fishing nets and other waste material and they donate 10% of profits from the sale of ECONYL® swimwear to Surfers Against Sewage, an environmental charity protecting UK waves, oceans and beaches.

Batoko in the UK is an independent swimwear brand based on the North West Coast of England. All of their sustainable swimwear is made from 100% recycled fabric, from plastic bottles and post-consumer waste such as carpets and other textiles. Additionally their swimsuits are printed digitally which reduces water consumption and waste, and their inks are free of harmful chemicals. The company operate on a slow fashion principle and don’t engage in fast turn around of styles. They work with an audited factory in China, which they say, takes necessary measures to avoid both environmental degradation, along with following and respecting the labour principles set out in the BSCI Code of Conduct which ensures a fair and safe working environment for all it’s workers. The company is a member of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), who work to ensure our seas are healthy, pollution free and protected and each year a proportion of the company’s profits go to supporting this organisation. For shipping, they use the smallest size of 100% recycled poly packaging from Eco Enclose, a company that recycles their mail bags from post-consumer and post-industrial plastic waste. The packaging is lighter than their paper counterparts, so more energy efficient and the mail bags have an extra strip which allows you to reuse the packaging.

Davy J in the UK make sustainable swimwear designed to last from nylon yarn recycled from old fishing nets. Their costumes have a double lined, high elastane composition that provides extra strength, durability and shape. The company are aiming to create a closed-loop resource system, so they invite you to return your worn out swimsuit to them and they will reuse as much. They are trying to achieve 60% closed loop recycling by 2020.

Patagonia is a high-street that makes sustainable swimwear from recycled nylon printed with PVC- and phthalate-free inks and their board shorts and bikinis are fair trade certified. The company also gives 1% of their sales to support environmental organizations around the world. There is tons of information on the Patagonia website about the ethical and sustainable way they do business.

If you’re looking for something custom made then check out Stidston Swimwear in Devon, who make bikinis to order in velour or ECONYL®, a nylon yarn recycled from old fishing nets and other waste material.

Tucca Swim make pieces from recycled Nylon in the UK. they say that their packaging is minimal, biodegradable and plastic free.

UK brand Vivida Lifestyle makes OEKO – TEX certified swimwear and clothing from recycled and certified organic materials. Their swing tags are recycled paper with natural ties and they use compostable packaging, and biodegradable mailers. The factory that makes their organic cotton clothing is wind powered and the fabric mills that makes their eco neoprene is Blue Sign certified for excellence in energy and water usage and waste disposal.

Boden in the UK makes swimwear from recycled nylon and recycled polyester. The company are working to replace all virgin polyester with recycled polyester, use cotton grown with less water and use recycled cotton. The company also donates money and clothes to charities. They publish a full list of their factories. Their boxes are made from recycled paper in mailer that are partially made from recycled materials.

Aspiga are a B Corp making swimsuits from recycled polyester with small suppliers and skilled craftspeople in India and Kenya. They make a point of supporting their suppliers even when orders are down. They ensure all scraps of fabric are made into small items to avoid waste. They donate to multiple charity schemes and are implemented a plan to further reduce the companies’ environmental footprint. Their garment bags are made from compostable cornstarch and their product tags are FSC certified.

Sprout Organic make swimwear to order in recycled polyester in the UK. They strives create as little waste as possible and all fabric scraps are repurposed or recycled. Also all its parcels are sent out in fully recyclable packaging.

The following companies don’t focus on the sustainability of their materials or dyes. They simply manufacture their sustainable swimwear in the UK.

Kiniki have been making their lingerie and swimsuits in England for over 40 years. They also have a range of tan-thru swimwear, which as you can imagine allows you to get a tan through them. They also do a men’s range.

Another UK made swimwear brand is Samantha Sage. They also make swimsuits for teenagers and children.

Till next time

E

PS – check out our guides to Sustainable Ethical https://livinglightlyinireland.com/2024/03/07/sustainable-ethical-pyjamas-2/, Mens Clothing, Yoga Active and Leisure Wear, Underwear, Women’s Clothing,