Buying sustainable swimwear in Australia is harder than it should be. A lot of brands make green claims that dissolve the moment you ask a follow-up question. So this post is a plain-English guide to what sustainable swimwear actually means, what to look for, and where to find it — including what we do at Raw X Salt.
What makes swimwear sustainable?
Genuinely sustainable swimwear involves multiple factors across the supply chain. No single certification or material claim covers all of them. The main areas to assess are:
1. Fabric and materials
Conventional swimwear is made from virgin nylon or polyester, both derived from petroleum. The production process is energy-intensive and the materials take hundreds of years to break down.
Sustainable alternatives include:
- ECONYL® — regenerated nylon made from ghost fishing nets, carpet scraps, and industrial nylon waste. Reduces global warming impact by up to 90% versus virgin nylon.
- REPREVE® — recycled nylon and polyester yarn made from pre-consumer waste, certified by the National Recycling Foundation.
- Recycled polyester — commonly made from recycled plastic bottles. Less ideal for swimwear than recycled nylon because polyester sheds microplastics more readily when wet.
At Raw X Salt, our solid colour styles use ECONYL and our printed styles use REPREVE. Both are third-party certified recycled fibres.
2. Manufacturing ethics
Where and how a garment is made matters as much as what it is made from. Questions to ask: Are workers paid fairly? Are factories independently audited? Does the brand have direct relationships with their manufacturers, or are they two or three steps removed?
Raw X Salt swimwear is made in Bali by long-term manufacturing partners we have worked with for years. Many of the workers have built decade-long careers with these factories. We visit and audit directly.
3. Dyes and chemicals
Even recycled fabric can be dyed with harmful chemicals. Look for OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 or bluesign® certified dyes, which verify that the dyeing process is free from harmful substances.
4. Carbon footprint and packaging
Shipping has a real footprint. Carbon-neutral delivery, plastic-free packaging, and renewable energy use in operations all contribute. Raw X Salt ships with carbon-neutral delivery, uses plastic-free packaging from Better Packaging Co, and runs on solar energy.
5. Longevity
The most sustainable garment is one that lasts. Swimwear that holds its shape and colour for many seasons is meaningfully better than cheap swimwear replaced every summer. ECONYL and REPREVE fabrics are chlorine-resistant and UV-stable, designed to hold up across many wears.
What to look out for
The swimwear category has a greenwashing problem. Common red flags:
- "Made with recycled materials" with no specifics. Which materials? What percentage? Certified by whom?
- "Eco-friendly" with no certifications. This phrase has no standard definition and no regulatory meaning.
- Recycled fabric, no manufacturing transparency. A brand can use ECONYL and still manufacture in a factory with poor labour practices. The two are separate questions.
- Carbon offsets as the main sustainability claim. Offsets are a last resort, not a primary strategy. Look for brands that reduce emissions first and offset what they cannot eliminate.
Australian-made versus Australian-owned
Very little swimwear sold in Australia is manufactured in Australia — the economics of small-run Australian manufacturing make it extremely difficult for independent brands. This does not make a brand less sustainable. What matters is where manufacturing happens and under what conditions.
Raw X Salt is Australian-owned and designed, based on Gumbaynggirr Country in New South Wales. Our swimwear is manufactured in Bali, which we are transparent about. Our manufacturing partners have operated for many years, pay salaries above local minimum wage, and provide medical insurance and career progression to workers.
What does sustainable swimwear cost?
Sustainable swimwear costs more than fast-fashion swimwear. This is not a mark-up for a green label — it reflects the real cost of certified recycled materials, ethical manufacturing, and carbon-neutral logistics.
Raw X Salt swimwear ranges from $79 to $189 AUD. Tops and bottoms are sold individually, which means you can buy exactly what you need in the right size rather than buying a set where one piece fits and one does not.
Shop Raw X Salt sustainable swimwear
Raw X Salt has been making sustainable women's swimwear since 2018. Our range includes bikini tops, bikini bottoms, and one pieces in sizes XS to XL. All made from certified recycled fabrics, manufactured ethically, shipped carbon-neutral.