SWIMWEAR WITH PURPOSE
We consider ethics and the environment in every aspect of what we do and will always be transparent about who makes our bikinis and everything that goes into them. And when we send them to you they continue to make a difference with a portion of the price going to causes that count.
Our Ethos
People. We manufacture in small runs in an independently owned, energy-efficient, zero waste London factory, who pay fair wages and provide a happy, clean, safe working environment for all their incredible staff.
Planet. Fast fashion feeds landfills, so we need to buy less, buy better, and wear for longer. That’s why we create limited numbers of beautiful, timeless styles made and lined with premium quality recycled fabrics for extra strength, stretch, and durability, for a look that will last.
Ocean Plastic. We make our swimwear from fishing nets and other plastic pulled from our oceans, but even though it is turned into the strongest possible yarns, we encourage careful washing to minimise the release of tiny microfibres into our waterways, so they don’t end up back there again.
From Waste To Wear
To create our swimwear we use only the highest quality Italian fabrics made using Econyl®, a nylon yarn regenerated from discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste.
This is good for the environment for a couple of reasons. Firstly, recycling existing plastic to produce yarn requires less energy and produces less harmful emissions, reducing the global warming impact by up to 80% compared with creating new nylon from scratch. And not only does it use no precious natural resources, it actually removes plastic waste from the system that would otherwise pollute our landfills and oceans.
We’re not just spinning yarns!
A brand that calls itself sustainable just because it adds a recycled fabric to its lineup is GREENWASHING!! Being sustainable means SO MUCH MORE.
Have a look at who & what goes into making your Rockadi as sustainable as it can be :
The Econyl®:
Industrial nylon waste from carpet production, waste plastics like PET bottles, and abandoned fishing nets are taken in at Aquafil’s collection facilities in the USA and Slovenia. This synthetic waste is then used to produce Econyl® yarn at their Slovenian regeneration plant.
Fabulous Fabric:
We partner with a fiercely environmentally responsible fabric mill in Italy, where the recycled Econyl® yarn is woven together with Lycra® or other unbranded elastane – which is made in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in mainland Europe – to become the high-quality swimwear fabrics used in every Rockadi.
(All of our swim fabric is Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified)
Clean Colours:
The fabric mill has its own borehole and also collects rainwater for use in their production processes. The same water is treated and reused multiple times – to cool the knitting machine oil, then cool the dyeing machinery, and then to rinse the dyed fabrics – before a high-tech purification treatment involving homogenisation makes sure only clean water is discharged.
Planet Friendly Prints
Our patterned fabrics are designed and digitally printed in Italy by our talented print partner, a small family-run business located only 20miles down the road from the fabric mill, who use only Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified inks and dyes, and take equal care to minimise the use of energy and water resources during the print process.
Sustainable Stitching & Eco Embroidery:
Our swimwear is quite literally recycled down to the very last stitch, with our factory using quality rPET threads made in Germany from 100% recycled PET bottles.
Our embroiderer is a small, independent business less than a mile away from our London factory that source only the highest quality viscose threads, made responsibly in Germany from 100% FSC certified natural wood fibres, using reduced and reprocessed water, chemicals and heat energy for minimal environmental impact. A lot of embroiderers use polyester threads, but ours just can’t spiritually connect with that. That’s why we love them so much.
(All threads are Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified)
Minimalist Metal:
The metal hooks, rings, and sliders we use are made in France by the best team in the business, using Zamak, a hypoallergenic alloy that is hard-wearing, corrosion-resistant and even recyclable, meaning production waste is re-used, and the accessories can be repurposed at the end of the swimwear’s life.
(All metal accessories are Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified)
Eco-Zips:
We are the first swimwear brand to use a 100% Econyl® zip made 100% in Italy, that is 100% infinitely recyclable – puller, teeth AND tape.
Our other zips are also 100% Italian made, with 100% recycled polyester tape, min. 65% recycled nylon teeth with 100% waste nylon reused, and a Zamak puller where 100% waste metal is repurposed.
Both our suppliers are 100% committed to sustainable manufacturing and have happy, friendly staff who can never do enough for us. That’s keeping it 💯.
(All zips are Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified)
Considerate Care Labels :
Even our care labels have to make the cut. We’re required to put them in, so made them tiny and super-soft so you don’t have to cut them out. They are printed for us by a small, but highly experienced company in a small market town in England’s Peak District, on 100% recycled polyester satin tape made 30miles down the road in Nottingham. It’s 5x the price of similar tape produced in China, but we more than make that back in carbon footprint.
(Our recycled care label tape is Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified)
Fantastic Elastic:
All of our swimwear is elasticated with Framilon®, made in Italy by Framis Italia, who pride themselves on how they address their environmental impact. And our hair scrunchies use knitted elastic made in Greece.
One or two of our styles also incorporate latex-free rubber tape, which is the only component we use originating in China. Our supplier is the oldest established rubber elastic private enterprise in China, the raw materials and production process have been verified and certified by Oeko-Tex® and, though we haven’t had an opportunity to visit the factory ourselves, the people who look after us there are all fantastic.
Rubber tape produced in Italy and France is 7x the price, which we’re ok with. But the large minimum order quantities put it too far out of reach for a small brand like ours. We are looking at ways to cooperate with other small sustainable brands to source more locally in the future.
(All elastic products are Oeko-Tex® 100 Certified)
Happy Hygiene Liners:
While hygiene liners made in the USA still rack up the carbon miles to get to us, at least we know they are manufactured ethically. The bio-plastic is also sustainably derived from tree pulp, is biodegradable, and compostable if you have an efficient home composting system or a local industrial composting facility. We are still not huge fans of bio-plastics [here’s why], so are investigating the possibility of paper-based alternatives with manufacturers closer to home.
(Our hygiene liners are Certified Compostable to ASTM D6868 & EN13432)
Removable Cups:
We wanted to include removable cups and found a supplier of recycled/recyclable cups in Germany. They don’t always hold stock, and minimum order requirements are prohibitive for slow fashion brands with lower production numbers. So we did our research and found that most of you remove the cups anyway, which means leaving them out is a win for reducing waste. For those of you who do prefer inserts, we encourage the re-use of cups from any other suits you have for added sustainability.
From the factory to you:
In 2020 we selected ApparelTASKER as our ethical manufacturing partner. They operate an energy and waste efficient factory in London, exceed industry requirements with higher wages and world-class working conditions, and only work with sustainable suppliers and clients.
And our shipping partner is a small, independent business in Devon that uses thermal printers (no harmful inks) for the address labels. And we are working with them to phase in certified-compostable label adhesive, and better solutions for recycling the silicon coated backing paper the labels are supplied on.
Our Online Store:
We host our website on the greenest possible platform, with 3x the renewable energy we consume being put back into the grid.
The devil’s in the detail:
That’s why even the little things matter to us, and we hope they matter to you.
The small print:
The above applies to all Rockadi swimwear manufactured from 2020 onwards. Some previous stock items in our Bedrock Collection may have labels, elastic, stitching, and hygiene liners that differ, but rest assured, the fabric and accessories are all from the same amazing suppliers.
follow us on Instagram
