Image credit Kaylee Garrett Unsplash
Did you know that fabric that stretches has plastic in it? Natural fibers have give, depending on which way they are sewn, but they won’t stretch and retract back to their original shape.
To get that great looking butt of yours into a pair of yoga tights, you’re probably wearing a lycra-polyester blend. It’s great they hold their shape the fabric draws sweat away from you - if you’ve ever worn non-wicking and worked up a sweat you’ll know this matters. What is less great is being plastic they’re essentially made from petrol.
Fear not, there are alternate options that are better for the planet.
If you’re trying to give up or reduce plastic for Plastic Free July here are some great alternates made from recycled materials.
Here are six of my favourite activewear brands that use recycled plastics in their yoga tights:
Amble (formally Team Timbuktu)
A fellow Aussie female entrepreneur. Rhianna is my hero not only is she using recycled plastic bottles in ALL of her designs, she produces an annual environmental report too. Go see what she’s up to here: https://ambleoutdoors.com.au
Nimble
Another local brand who offers a sustainable collection. Easy to find from their main menu look for the “recycled edit” with choices of yoga tights and a mix of outer wear as well. Much loved by fitness teachers around Melbourne for their high waist and subtle prints: https://nimbleactivewear.com/collections/the-sustainability-edit
Dharma Bums
Starting in Sydney this brand has exploded. The brilliant patterns to match your moods are all designed in-house and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone matching you with so many to choose from. Ethical production and sustainable materials there’s a lot to like. https://www.dharmabums.com.au
Girlfriend Collective
This team is from the USA but they’ve had such a huge impact on both recycling (all the their products are made from recycled materials) and body image - hello real humans with actual curves - they’re worth checking out. https://girlfriend.com
Free Spirit Co
Sustainable fashion, natural fibers and recycled tights are mainstays of Free Spirit. Channel your inner yoga rockstar with low cut tanks and faded tees. They have headquarters in both the UK and Australia. https://www.freespirit.co/
Arctic Flamingo
A German based brand with a brilliant recycling scheme. Return your worn out tights for them to be reassembled to make a new pair. This brand brings all the yoga values to their business model they have my heart and complete respect. https://arctic-flamingo.com/
PS. Recycled materials are tricky to work with so they’re more expensive and slow. Look for the key words “post consumer waste”. As recycled materials become more popular suppliers are starting to cheat using brand new ‘recycled bottles’ to meet demand from fast fashion wanting to show they’re being responsible.
Save the oceans. Wash your tights in mesh bags to collect any micro-plastics or add a filter to your washing machine, check them out on the Girlfriend collective site.