Want to help leave the world a better place?
Trigirl is the only triathlon clothing brand with a sustainable ethos.
Polyamide (Nylon) vs Polyester
Using recycled fabric for sportswear is not new. You may have come across technical T-shirts, swimsuits and polar fleeces made from plastic bottles. These are made of recycled polyester. Polyester can be a great sportswear fabric but unfortunately it is not as strong and durable as polyamide, also called nylon.
Nylon is by far the strongest fibre of all. This strength makes for a better trisuit material as it allows for thinner, faster drying material. Nylon is also stretchier, making it more comfortable for tight fitting garments.
Choose a nylon-based fabric for a durable, long-lasting trisuit.
Recycling nylon
The recycling of nylon was pioneered only a few years ago. Currently, there is still only one company able to recycle nylon on an industrial scale- Aquafil. Under the brand ECONYL®, they make a recycled nylon fibre that is just as strong and durable as virgin nylon fibre, yet it is re-generated from old fishing nets, carpet fluff and other consumer waste.
Watch this video to lean more about the recycling process of ECONYL® by Aquafil.
What difference does it make?
Quite a lot actually! For every 100 tons of ECONYL® raw material, we are able to save 700 barrels of crude oil and avoid 571 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
As well as being a solution to waste, ECONYL® regenerated nylon is also better when it comes to climate change. It reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 80% compared with nylon derived from oil.
Sustainable and ethical
Trigirl trisuits are made using re-generated nylon, but we don’t stop there. We are proud to combine sustainability with ethical standards in the workplace.
Our trisuits are all produced locally, in the EU. This guarantees that our factories pay at least minimum wage and adhere to labour laws. Transportation of finished product is by truck, never by plane, to keep our carbon footprint low. From spring 2020, all of our packaging is recycled or biodegradable.
Want to do more?
If we have inspired you to do a little more than just choosing a trisuit made from ECONYL® fabric, please consider supporting the Healthy Seas initiative with a donation. Your money will help to recover abandoned fishing nets from the oceans so they can be turned into ECONYL® fabrics.
Visit the healthyseas.org website to learn more.
You are never too small to make a difference.
What are you waiting for? Click here to browse Trigirl trisuits.
Further reading :
Eco-friendly triathlon clothing by Trigirl: click here to read.
Healthy Seas, clean the seas of marine litter: healthyseas.org