October 22, 2020

OUR SWIMWEAR

Why Sustainable Swimwear?!

Manhattan is more than 22 square miles, and it’s a borough in New York City that just about everyone’s familiar with. Even if you haven’t been there, you can probably get an idea that it’s seriously big.

Now, imagine an area 34 times the size of that, and then fill it ankle-deep with plastic garbage. What you get is around 19 billion pounds of plastic waste, and studies are revealing that this is exactly how much non-biodegradable trash is currently being dumped into our oceans each and every year.

What’s even more staggering is that this number is expected to double over the next 5 years.

Whats changing?

Up until as recently as a few years ago, the concept of “sustainability” seemed to have a stigma associated with it. There was a belief that sustainable fashion was, well… unfashionable. Made from rough uncomfortable fabrics and mostly for hard core hippies.

Fortunately, this mindset has begun shifting as more and more research continues to support the one simple claim being made: Humans are producing more waste than we can handle.

Different groups are responding to this problem in many different ways. Some promote a minimalist lifestyle to reduce consumption, while others are taking a more direct approach and trying to improve the sustainability and biodegradability of the products being manufactured today. Both approaches are positive and have good intentions, but the latter is most certainly more appealing to most people.

Have you heard of Italian Carvico Vita?

If you haven’t heard of Carvico yet, you’re soon going to learn about it–and probably start wearing it. That’s because it’s a new fabric, or really: a textile yarn, that’s created with sustainability in mind. The best part is that, the team behind Carvico Vita have addressed the key issues that used to plague the concept of “sustainability” and discourage people from purchasing sustainable products.

WHY AND HOW IT'S DIFFERENT

Wondering what goes into producing Sustainable Swimwear fabric?

Here are the six steps of the process from ocean waste to sustainable textiles:

Nylon Waste Rescue

Before Nylon 6 waste has the chance to make it into landfills and our waters, it is rescued and reclaimed through programs in the United States, Egypt, Greece, Pakistan, Thailand, Norway, and Turkey.
Some of the sources of Nylon waste include the Nylon used in fishing nets, old Nylon carpeting, industrial plastic waste, fabric scraps, and yarn discards.

Waste Preparation

There are many components that make up the reclaimed waste recovered, but all we require is the Nylon 6 element. So, the next step in the process is to clean and prepare the collected waste for regeneration.

The other materials recovered during the process are sent to other supply chains where they can be repurposed. Once cleaned, the nylon waste will be shredded, compacted, bagged, and sent to the regeneration plant.

Deploymerisation

This is really where the unique process begins to shine. Unlike other processes, this one employs a radically new process to purify the waste.

When compared to the process of mechanical recycling, the chemical process use to create the sustainable swimwear fabric enables the nylon waste to be regenerated to a “new again” state of raw material. It removes all foreign substances, thus making it 100% virgin quality.

Polymerisation

This step in the process transforms the regenerated raw materials into Nylon 6 polymers that will be used in the sustainable swimwear textile.

The “Econyl Caprolactam” produced has the same chemical characteristics and performance as traditional caprolacatam (which is unsustainable and produced from raw fossil materials)

Transformation

During the transformation process, the 100% regenerate Nylon 6 polymers are turned into textile yarns that will go on to be implemented into a variety of different applications and product lines. They’ll be sent off to the production facilities, which will process them into these usable yarns.

Re-Commercialisation

Following the production process, the textile yarns will be used to
create our range of sustainable swimwear.

The great thing about this yarn is that it can be regenerated again, and again, and again for ever and ever without ever losing its quality. That’s why it’s so wonderful, and so perfectly sustainable.

The process is a completely closed-loop that allows for infinite cycles without producing any additional waste. The power, and positive effects, of this process is simply incredible.

What are we doing with it?

Here at Bombshell Bay Swimwear, we use it to produce our Swimsuits.

And we don’t use it because it’s a “fad” that can be leveraged to sell more swimsuits or get attention from the media. We believe in the process and concept of shifting the manufacturing process to be more sustainable. It’s time that we begin considering the long-term effects of what we’re doing today, and what the industry has been doing for decade after decade.

To us, it’s very important that we take the responsible steps needed to enable consumers like you to make better choices.

And, it’s not just sustainability that makes us different.

Here, we have a few guiding philosophies that set us apart from the rest:

Helping Women Feel Good

Creating wearable, flattering, comfortable, and confidence-inspiring clothes is a serious consideration for every item we produce. And these things aren’t interchangeable. Every product we release has to check every single one of these boxes, or it simply doesn’t meet our standards.

Keeping It Real

Every woman has spent some amount of time staring at those magazine cover models and thinking, “How do they possibly look that good?” Obviously, we’ve begun learning that they don’t. Strict, unhealthy dieting coupled with photoshop, air brushing, and insanely manipulated lighting are what give them that “flawless” appearance. Here at Bombshell Bay, we love our personal characteristics, our traits, and our unique personalities, and we think you deserve swimsuits that showcase these things.

That’s also why we don’t photoshop our models to perfection, because we already know that they’re perfect. We also don’t showcase unhealthy physiques: Just the real, every day, healthy, and beautiful ones like yours. The only reason you’ll be looking twice at our product photos is because they are simply, and naturally, stunning!

Making a difference

Sustainability and being good to the oceans that we enjoy so much is most certainly important to us as well. That’s why, after accomplishing our goal of supporting women and setting our strict standards for promoting natural beauty, we launched our Sustainable Swimwear line in 2017.

It’s an effort that was by no means an easy undertaking, but it’s something everyone here at Bombshell Bay is super proud of. That’s because now, not only are we making a difference in the lives of women, we’re also making a positive impact on our world as a whole. Those things really get us moving. Making these changes help our marine life and help the world as a whole.

Does Sustainable Swimwear fabric look different and is it more expensive?

Sustainable swimwear looks just like any other swimsuit, and it can feel and work just as great. Sustainable swimwear is a fashionable choice, and it’s also an environmentally friendly one.

The process to recover plastic waste and regenerate it into 100% virgin material to be re-used in swimsuits and other apparel is daunting. You’ll pay a bit more for sustainable fabrics, but this isn’t a “novelty” added fee, it’s because it takes more work to produce sustainable fabric compared to non-sustainable textiles. PS: We think it’s worth it!

Why is it all about sustainable fabrics now?

With research from recent years revealing the growing need for society to move towards more sustainable, ocean-friendly manufacturing practices, choosing sustainable swimwear is the perfect way for you to do your part. Buy less, buy better. Only buy things you LOVE and you know you will wear for years.

Join the movement

By wearing sustainable swimwear, you’re showing that you are a conscientious individual—although no one will ever know it’s sustainable unless you tell them yourself! And, once you spend some time in your new swim suit, we think you’ll be shouting it off the roof tops.
Our sustainable swimwear line isn’t reserved for anyone. Women of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, we love you all.