Sustainable Swimwear Brand Bombshell Bay Swimwear

Here at Bombshell Bay, we design Sustainable Swimwear for women all over the world, want to know why? Read on…

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 (probably bigger than your hometown).

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.

Re-thinking the “paper or plastic” question yet? While most of the garbage floating in our oceans are plastic bottles and bags, the waste goes far beyond packaging. In reality, the clothing industry is a huge contributor to the massive amount of non-biodegrable waste floating in our world’s waters. Synthetic fabrics may be affordable, but microplastics can be washed out right into our water supplies if you’re one of the billions of people in the world wearing synthetic clothing that incorporates acrylic or polyester.

In fact, just one single washing cycle has the potential to release more than 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment. Even if you don’t do laundry that often, these numbers add up when you consider that around 1,100 people will throw a load into their washing machine every second (and that’s just in the United States).

Maybe you see where this is going…

Sustainability has been a growing topic of discussion in recent years, and with these shocking statistics now surfacing, there is really no wonder why. And, of course, as the consumerism model moves forward, more and more companies seem to be opting for synthetic materials to lower prices and produce more products, focusing on the bottom line rather than the long-term effects of their choices.

It’s in response to this that emerging companies have begun developing new manufacturing techniques and products to help slow down the accumulation of waste and, at the same time, help promote the use of products and components that are sustainably sourced, and biodegradable.

What’s 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 EcoNyl?

If you haven’t heard of Econyl 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 Econyl have addressed the key issues that used to plague the concept of “sustainability” and discourage people from purchasing sustainable products. Namely:

It’s lower-quality: Who said sustainability means sacrifice or settling? Econyl focuses on producing products with the purity and performance of a virgin-quality item (i.e., products made with “new materials”)
It’s expensive: Sustainable products have a bad rep for being associated with insanely high price tags. Novelty pricing, as some would call it. The fabric we use is priced reasonably, which means we can still offer our products at a very similar price to non sustainable swimwear prices.
It’s confusing: Sustainability is actually rather simple, and we are working to educate the public on what exactly “sustainable fabric” really is. By definition, our Sustainable Swimwear is made from regenerated products.

Why (and How) It’s Different

Wondering what goes into producing Sustainable Swimwear fabric?
Here are the six basic steps of the process from trash 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.

Deploymerization

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.

Polymerization

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-Commercialization

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 We’re Doing With It

Here at Bombshell Bay Swimwear, we use it to produce our Swimsuits, Surf Suits and Rash Guards.

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, even on Monday mornings when we’d rather be at the beach ourselves.

We want to do more than just impact women, we want to impact everyone and change the face of our industry. Beauty isn’t about Photoshopped thighs and “flawless” skin. Beauty is about strength, confidence, and gorgeous sun-kissed smiles. All of this should be complimented and accentuated by a tasteful swimsuit. That’s why our design ethos is “Sexy without the skimp.”

Frequently Asked Questions

We get a lot of questions about our work. Here are the short and simple answers:

Can I wear sustainable swimwear in a swimming pool?

Of course you can! Our sustainable swimwear performs just as good as non-sustainable swimwear. Years of development have went into perfecting the materials used for performance apparel. Our fabric performs and feels the same as traditional Lycra.
It’s totally swimming pool safe!

What makes sustainable swimwear so sustainable?

The thing that makes sustainable swimwear truly sustainable is that it’s a closed-loop process. Our fabrics can be regenerated again, and again, and again for infinity without ever losing their quality. That means nothing of your swimsuit will ever end up in a landfill….ever!

Where can I buy sustainable swimwear?

The thing that makes sustainable swimwear truly sustainable is that it’s a closed-loop process. Econyl fabrics can be regenerated again, and again, and again for inifinity without ever losing their quality. That means nothing of your swimsuit will ever end up in a landfill….ever!

How do I wash sustainable swimwear?

The washing process for sustainable swimwear is nothing special when compared to any other swimsuit. This means don’t ever put it in the washer! Hand wash it in cool water and then hang it up to dry.

What’s the quality like on sustainable swimwear?

Our sustainable swimwear in no way sacrifices quality or performance. In fact, side-by-side to a traditional swimsuit, you couldn’t tell the difference. That’s because the fabric we use is just like traditional Lycra.

Does Sustainable Swimwear fabric look different?

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.

Is sustainable swimwear more expensive?

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!

who is sustainable swimwear for?

Sustainable fashion used to carry a stigma with it that said it was just for hardcore hippies. In reality, sustainable swimwear is a stylish and fashionable choice for anyone who likes spending time by the water. Sustainable swimwear is for anyone who cares about the waters we swim in, and it doesn’t have to mean making a statement (although we’re all for that, too)!

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, just like your Grandma.

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 wear and love our swimsuits.

In reality, sustainability is the clean way forward, and millions of women are beginning to see that. Don’t be shy about the concept of sustainability. It will literally make all the difference between a clean future for our oceans, or a very dirty one.

Do you have questions? We’ve got you covered. Reach out to our team and we can help you find the perfect swim suit for your body type.

We can also answer any questions you may have about our company, our mission, and what we’re doing to change the industry, for the better, for women and our planet.