Sustainable swimming: Recycling plastic bottles into board shorts
Flaunt your beach bod in board shorts made of recycled plastic bottles. Photo release
From drinking bottles to film and textiles, plastic has been among the most produced commodities on earth; it is much preferred for its flexibility, lightness and durability. In fact, it is so durable that it can persist for more than 2,000 years, which now poses a global threat in terms of garbage disposal and high demand for oil and gasoline.
The Philippines, according to a recent study by international group Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, is the third biggest source of plastic leaking into oceans.
According to the study, dump sites near rivers and improper garbage disposal are among the reasons why the country is among those that highly contribute to plastic pollution, wherein harmful chemicals from plastics, such as the carcinogens Bisphenol A (BPA) and Phthalates, are released into the environment and eaten by animals like marine species, which in turn, are consumed by humans. Plastic bottle caps are worse as they reportedly do not decompose, settle at the bottom of the ocean, and choke fish and seagull.
To lessen the impact of plastic pollution, recycling and banning plastic bags have been a common practice in countries like the Philippines and Australia. Some German towns reportedly offer cash incentives for reducing household wastes. In nations like Canada, the United States, Denmark and Sweden, steps have been allegedly taken to limit the use of BPA and other plastic chemicals in products.
This growing global upheaval for environmental awareness and wellness resulted in the declaration of Greenery as Pantone color of the year for 2017. Instead of taking the color of the year literally, apparel retailers like Speedo adopted the Greenery trend by developing more and more eco-friendly materials.
For its spring/summer 2017 collection, Speedo introduces one of its latest technologies, Xpress Dry, a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The new fabric, featured in the collection’s shorts, reportedly repels water for a dry touch, even immediately after a swim.
The spring/summer showcase also includes rashguards made of the new Bamboo Charcoal tech, a material that deodorizes naturally and has the ability to regulate moisture. Bamboo Charcoal tech reportedly comes from bamboo pieces that have been harvested after at least five years before they were burned in ovens. They are considered environment-friendly as they reduce pollutant residue.
For sun protection, the collection offers a range of water-repellent swimwear with built-in ultraviolet (UV) A and UVB shield.
Rashguard made of Bamboo Charcoal tech, believed to reduce pollutant residue.
Body-shaping swimwear from Speedo's spring-summer 2017 collection
In the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology continues to push for water hyacinth as a natural alternative to textiles, basket weaving and interior design. Shoemakers in Liliw, Laguna, for example, have been producing water hyacinth sandals for years.
Like plastic, water hyacinth is flexible, durable, versatile and water-repellent. But also, like plastic, water hyacinth could be deadly.
In a February 3 story by Philstar.com, John Unson reported that water hyacinths choked the Rio Grande de Mindanao and caused widespread flooding in Cotabato City in 2011, the worst in years, locals said.
Recycling plastics and water hyacinths, as Unson said, does not only save lives, but also provide livelihood — something to think about as you head to the beach this summer.
