Whether your kids are frolicking in the waves, training for their next swimming race, or splashing about in the pool, you’ll have more than one reason to smile when watching them in the water wearing their Bon+Co kids swimmers.
They’ll look good. They’ll feel great. They’ll be safe from the sun.
The craftsmanship is top quality and the original designs are fun and fresh, ticking both the durability and adorability boxes you have on your wish list when shopping for kids swimmers.
But that’s not all you’ll be smiling about.
Our customers tell us that the most smile-generating thing about Bon+Co kids swimmers is knowing that they have a far lower environmental impact that traditionally produced swimwear.
Did you know Bon+Co kids swimmers are made from recycled plastic bottles?
It’s true. Bon+Co kids swimmers aremade using fabric constructed out of recycled plastic bottles.
But…how?
We’re so glad you asked! Because we can now do better than just tell you about how we make our amazing kids swimmers from recycled plastic bottles – we can also show you some behind-the-scenes footage.
The yarn extrusion and creation process is amazing in itself, which you can see in more detail in this video. But watching that yarn then be turned into a fabric that feels great, is super versatile, and can be treated to hold the world’s highest sun protection rating of UPF50+ and used to make incredible quality kids swimmers is mind-blowingly cool!
This footage was taken in our fabric mill, where all the magic happens. No matter how many times we watch this, or how well we understand the mechanics of the process, it never ceases to amaze and make us proud that approximately 8 plastic bottles that were destined for landfill, instead end up as sun-protective wearable art…in the form of kids swimmers in Aussie backyards and beaches!
The first part of the fabric making process is kind of mesmerising to watch. The yarn is collected and threaded into a large knitting machine. These yarns are then knitted tightly to form the basic raw fabric, known as “greige”.
Are kids swimwear made with fabric from recycled plastic bottles any good?
No. It’s not good. It’s GREAT!
When it came to choosing the fabrics for our Bon+Co swimwear, we wanted to be part of a change in how the fashion sector operates and, where possible, source fabrics for our kid’s swimmers that are sustainable. Fabrics that help us to walk a little lighter on our planet.
We also knew that we could not afford to compromise on the quality of fabric we choose to make our range of kids swimmers from.
With 20+ years in the fashion industry, we know that fabric quality is a key consideration for busy parents when it comes to investing in kids swimmers and clothing. You don’t need the hassle or the time-waste of replacing kids swimsuits that wear out before the warm, sunny season is though. Add to that the environmental impact of purchasing multiple poor quality pairs of kids swimmers when just the one quality pair should do…and the hunt for a quality, sustainable fabric was on.
After months of research, we were delighted to discover some truly amazing fabrics (and a load of other products!) that are being developed from recycled materials all around the world. There ARE sustainable options out there. We CAN do better. Especially when it comes to what we choose make our kids swimmers from.
We choose REPREVE® recycled fabrics to construct the majority of our Bon+Co kids bathing suits.
All of our Bon+Co swimwear fabrics hold colour beautifully and they feel amazingly lovely to touch and wear, wet or dry.
But we didn’t stop at finding a suitable recycled fabric. We added some extra swimwear superpowers to our kids swimmers.
What kind of superpowers do Bon+Co kids swimmers have?
Resistance, Power and Protection.
These are the three superpowers (or, very practical fabric attributes) that we consider essential for any pair of good pair of kids swimmers. After the weaving process, our fabrics are carefully treated for the following:
- Chlorine Resistance. While it’s still important to rinse your kids swimmers after each use in cold clean fresh water to keep them looking their best for longer, Bon+Co kids swimmers are treated help them last a little longer still.
- Anti-Pilling Power. You know those annoying little balls of fluff that can build up on kids swimmers? Especially if you’re kids are prone to being kids and are constantly brushing up against rocks, concrete, timber, outdoor tiles, pebble pool lining and every other rough surface imaginable in their bathers? While wear will inevitably happen, this treatment provides some extra protection for the fabric that Bon+Co kids swimmers are made with.
- UPF50+ Protection. Proper sun protection fabric treatment is a non-negotiable for Bon+Co. Our kids swimmers are all made with SPF50+ treated fabrics. Along with the application of a very good sunscreen, kids swimmers that are made with sun protection fabrics will help protect your kiddos skin.
Why choose kids swimmers made from recycled plastic bottles?
We know that the long-term overuse and poor disposal of plastics is one of the largest environmental dilemmas of our world.
In choosing to work with REPREVE® fabrics, made from recycled plastic bottles that were otherwise destined for landfill, we are choosing to be part of the solution, utilising existing plastics to create our kids swimmers.
REPREVE® sustainable yarns are made using techniques that emit fewer greenhouse gases and conserve water and energy in the process.
The REPREVE® Recycled Polyester manufacturing process eliminates many of the environmentally harmful processes required by traditional virgin polyester manufacturing.
You can learn more about how REPREVE® fabrics are made from recycled plastic bottles by watching this Discovery Channel video.
And you can shop our amazing First Summer range of sustainable kids swimmers here. We hope that doing either – or both! – makes you smile! ?
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