SEAQUAL® Recycled Swimwear: Ocean Plastic Turned Into Performance Fabric
What is SEAQUAL®?
SEAQUAL® is a certified recycled polyester produced from plastic waste recovered from our oceans and coastlines. It's made under the SEAQUAL Initiative, a programme that coordinates the collection of marine litter through fishing communities, beach clean operations, and coastal volunteers across Europe and beyond.
The collected plastic is processed into recycled PET fibre, spun into yarn, and woven into high performance fabric. That fabric carries full traceability documentation from the point of collection to the finished product, which is what distinguishes SEAQUAL® from general recycled polyester claims.
Every SEAQUAL® product also carries Oeko-Tex® certification, confirming it's free from harmful substances.
The Environmental Case
The difference between producing SEAQUAL® yarn and virgin polyester is independently verified:
- 37% lower CO₂ emissions
- 34% less water consumption
- 40% less energy use
These figures come from life cycle analysis conducted by independent certification bodies, not from marketing estimates.
Beyond the production figures, SEAQUAL® addresses a problem that standard recycled polyester doesn't. Plastic collected through conventional recycling schemes was already within a waste management system. Marine plastic was not. Without active collection it continues to degrade in the ocean, breaking into microplastics that enter the food chain and accumulate in marine ecosystems indefinitely.
The SEAQUAL Initiative creates an economic incentive for collection by giving recovered marine plastic commercial value as a certified raw material. Fishermen retrieve plastic in their nets as part of their regular activity. Beach clean volunteers contribute coastal plastic. That material is processed, certified, and sold into the textile supply chain rather than being treated as waste with no value.
How the Certification Works
SEAQUAL® maintains a verified chain of custody from ocean collection through processing, spinning, fabric production, and garment manufacture. Each stage is documented and auditable.
This traceability is what allows a specific claim to be made about ocean plastic content. It's the difference between a brand saying their product contains recycled ocean plastic and a brand being able to demonstrate exactly what proportion came from marine collection and through which verified supply chain.
Brands using SEAQUAL® yarn pay a licence fee to the SEAQUAL Initiative, which funds the ongoing collection and certification programme. The certification is renewed annually and requires continued compliance with traceability standards.
Why Swimwear
Swimwear is the most logical application for SEAQUAL® yarn for an obvious reason. The material came from the ocean. It goes back to the ocean. That connection is direct rather than symbolic.
Beyond the conceptual fit, SEAQUAL® yarn performs exceptionally well as a swimwear fabric. It's quick drying, resistant to salt water and chlorine, and maintains its shape and colour through extended use. It improves with wear rather than degrading, which is the opposite of what cheap synthetic swimwear does.
The technical performance of the fabric supports the environmental argument rather than asking buyers to accept a compromise. That matters when you're asking someone to pay a premium for a product made to a higher standard.
Rolf Skeldon and SEAQUAL®
Our swim shorts are made from 70% SEAQUAL® yarn recovered from ocean waste and 30% rPET from recycled plastic bottles. Every fibre in the fabric comes from recycled sources. None from virgin petroleum.
We've held a SEAQUAL® licence since the early years of the brand, which gives us direct access to certified yarn and the ability to make verified claims about the ocean plastic content of our products.
The shorts are made in Plymouth, UK, cut to a classic mid-thigh length with three mesh pockets, adjustable drawstring waist, and mesh lining. Available in five colours.
Every purchase directly supports the SEAQUAL Initiative's ongoing work to recover plastic from our seas. That's not a marketing line. It's how the supply chain works.
Shop SEAQUAL® recycled swim shorts
Further Reading
If you want to understand more about ocean plastic and the SEAQUAL® process, these posts go deeper:
