Why we chose recycled nylon
Fortunately these days it’s a little easier to make sustainable clothing choices. With leaps and bounds in the eco-friendly fabric space we certainly did a tonne of research and extensive testing to arrive at our choice.
Our first option was to go with a natural fibre such as cotton or bamboo. Both of these are highly marketed as eco-friendly textiles however a deep dive into the industry painted a different picture.
- Bamboo grows very quickly without the need for pesticides or fertilisers and could potentially be one of the world’s most sustainable resources. However, to be made into a fibre (bamboo rayon or bamboo viscose) it is processed with very strong chemical solvents that are harmful to workers and eventually end up in wastewater and harming the environment.
- Cotton also turns out to be not so great environmentally. 99% of cotton is grown using fertilisers and genetically modified seeds. It is mostly produced in warm and dry regions however it needs a phenomenal amount of water to grow. This becomes even more impactful in places like India where inefficient water management means that up to 20,000L of water is used to produce 1kg of cotton, yet over 100 million people don’t have access to clean water…
This lead us to sustainable options such as hemp, Lyocell (not Modal), and recycled or organic cotton (only 0.7% of cotton production is organic). While these ticked our environmental boxes, they just didn’t perform when it came to workout underwear that were sweat proof, seamless and comfortable to workout in. Trust us, we tried them all! And so, we decided on RECYCLED NYLON. We needed more than just sustainability. We needed a fabric that satisfied our FIT, FEEL & FUNCTION criteria for your sweatiest and intense workouts.
What is nylon
Nylon itself is not sustainable. Essentially it is a type of plastic that is put through an intensive chemical process resulting in the strong and stretchy fibres that make it so useful for fitness wear and stockings. The uses of this versatile material are vast, from your dental floss and seatbelt to fishing nets and parachutes. The downside is it is completely non-biodegradable and will sit in landfill for hundreds of years. But good news! It’s plastic and can be recycled.
Our recycled nylon
By choosing recycled nylon, we are diverting waste away from landfill and its production uses far less resources including water, energy and fossil fuel. It’s a win-win! Except for cost, it is much more expensive than regular nylon and other fabrics, but the environmental advantages are far more out-weighing. Our particular recycled nylon is called PRUECOⓇ by Prutex Nylon Co. Ltd and is made out of mostly pre-consumer waste. However, it may also come from some post-consumer waste such as industrial fishing nets. Our fabric carries the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
Our sustainability journey
We are proud to be a company that was built with sustainability as a core value and in our short time we are thrilled to have been able to bring you a sustainable option without compromising on quality or functionality. However, we are constantly researching ways to improve for the future including better materials and end-of-life options for our underwear. We are excited for our sustainability journey and while we hope we don't make any mistakes, we know that we will learn from them. Knowledge is power, if you have any ideas on how we can do better please reach out! Our beautiful world we live in deserves it.
Emily and Liz x