The Zero Trace swimsuit is made using the first fully biodegradable polyamide 6.6 (nylon) yarn, Amni Soul Eco®, blended with an innovative bio-elastane for stretch - Roica V550®. This means that in landfill conditions the fabric of the ‘Zero Suit’ will fully breakdown in just 5 years – 10 times faster than conventional synthetic fibres*.

The fabric used for swimwear traditionally, is limited to either a virgin or recycled polymer yarn, such as nylon or polyester, blended with synthetic elastane fibres to give the crucial stretch quality. The blended nature of stretch swimwear fabrics means that they are difficult to recycle, and unfortunately, these conventional synthetic fabrics can take more than 50 years to breakdown into harmful microplastics in landfill. The Amni Soul Eco® yarn has no toxic components, and is Oeko-Tex® certified, which means the residues of the fabric biodegradation are organic compounds**

Beyond the main fabric of the suit, thought has been given to the trim components with the elastic in the seams of the suit replaced with 100% natural rubber that is biodegradable.

The biodegradability of the nylon yarn is enhanced by applying and dispersing additives in the polyamide 6.6 matrix. The unique chemical structure of these additives allows bacteria found in anaerobic environments (like landfill), easier and faster access to breakdown and digest the polymers into organic matter and biogas - thus accelerating the biodegradation process.

No, the fabric of the Zero Trace suit will breakdown into harmless bio-gas and organic matter when disposed of correctly. The Roica V550® bio-elastane has also been awarded the Gold Material Health Certificate from the Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute, as well as the Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification, proving it is able to break down without releasing harmful substances into the environment at end of life.  

The process to create the Amni Soul Eco® yarn is also sustainable – the mill uses a closed cycle manufacturing system, a production process which collects and recycles scrap, wastewater, raw materials found in the water, and heat that is generated in some of the production phases. Even the dying process of the fabric at our fabric mill has been revolutionised, using a dye material produced from recycled vegetable cooking oil.

The biodegradation properties of the fabric are only active exclusively under landfill conditions, where there is no oxygen, and where bacteria specifically in charge of anaerobic decomposition are found. Therefore, it does not decompose after exposure to water or sweat, or in storage. The yarn technology doesn’t affect the quality or durability of the fabric - the lifecycle is the same as other Davy J swimsuits – check out care instructions on the product page here.

We ask that when your Zero Trace swimsuit finally reaches the end of its usable life, you return it to us so that we can ensure that it is disposed of in optimal conditions as provided by landfill, to speed up the breakdown process. If the fabric is not disposed of in an anaerobic environment, it will degrade in the same way as conventional synthetic fabrics (i.e. very slowly!).

The fabric can be disposed of in normal landfill which provides the anaerobic conditions needed to biodegrade, but Davy J is also seeking specialist waste facilities that can capture the bio-gases and organic matter produced in the breakdown process to be converted into green energy!

‘Biodegradable’ is not the same as ‘compostable’, so please don’t put your old suit in with your organic compost at home – the fabric needs the anaerobic conditions of landfill to accelerate the breakdown process. If you can’t return your suit to us, please at the very least dispose of it in your general domestic waste that is destined for landfill.