Why recycled plastic swimsuits aren’t as green as you would think
in its operations. Sportswear giants including Adidas rely on recycled plastic as a key part of their sustainable materials portfolios. And luxury brands such as Prada and a host of swimwear brands use Econyl, a nylon made from discarded fishing nets.
The catch is that, too often, recycling is tacked onto companies’ existing operations — carried out alongside an increase in total plastic consumption, rather than as part of a wholesale shift away from it. That’s where the potential for recycled plastic to deliver any real environmental benefit falls short, says Savitz.“We like to use the bathtub analogy: when your bathtub is overflowing, you don’t just run for the mop. You first turn off the faucet,” she says.
"Recycling in general is good, but it’s wrong to give people the impression that recycling is enough."“a three-loop strategy” targeting plastic waste