Ecological sportswear: how to know how to choose and how to buy better

If you set out to put yourself this year, you may also be considering renewing your sportswear.What is the problem?That most sports attire are made of nylon or polyester - in other words, of plastics derived from fossil fuels - and, therefore, they do a lot of damage to the planet.

This is a growing concern for many of us: last year, Lyst reported that the searches for ‘sustainable sportswear’ had increased 151%.However, finding ecological sportswear is still a challenge.‘Although the market [of sustainable sportswear] is growing, it is still much easier to prefer a non -sustainable option,’ tells Vogue Tatiana Kovylina, founder of the London brand Silou.

Currently, even the most sustainable market options have a certain percentage of spandex or elastane to stretch.‘We do not need to use Spandex in the tops or leggings,’ says Quang Dinh, executive director and founder of the Girlfriend Collective brand, Seattle.‘Although we are always looking for a better alternative, we try to reduce the necessary amount [of those materials] in our clothes and use the absolute minimum.’

All this means that it is essential to reduce as much as possible the environmental impact of sportswear;Here we tell you how.

Since synthetic are the great concern, look for marks such as Girlfriend Collective and Perff Studio, which use recycled alternatives.‘Our exclusive recycling polyester starts with used water bottles,’ explains Dinh.Each pair of leggings is made of two5 recycled bottles.

More and more brands with ecological consciousness, such as Indigo Luna and Vyayama, are choosing natural alternatives such as organic cotton and rayon, which - when they are extracted in a sustainable way - have a lower impact on the planet than the synthetic.

As sportswear needs to wash frequently, durability is essential from a sustainable perspective."We believe that customers need to buy better, no more," says Kovylina.‘Our products go through our own tests: our whole team exercises with our pieces, lava and puts them to the dryer to see if they last.’

Be sure to use a filter to remove microplastics - like a Guppyfriend washing bag or a ball Ball - when washing your sportswear to prevent tiny plastic particles from ending in the oceans and damaging marine life (a study indicates that a single loadof washing machine can release the impressive amount of 1two million microfibers)."We make a filter that can be installed in your washing machine, but there are many other good options," adds Dinh.

Considering that sportswear is so close to the skin, the use of chemicals in the manufacturing process is an understandable concern, so look for the Oeko-Tex brand, which certifies that their garments are free of harmful chemicals.

Natural pigments are also much more ecological than synthetic alternatives.‘Large -scale conventional dyeing uses many harmful chemical.‘All our natural pigments are extracted locally in Bali, Indonesia, and all the waste we produce are organic and compostable.’

How much your sportswear is already widely used, it is essential.Finding brands that offer recyclable schemes, such as the Girlfriend Collective Regirlfield Program, will help you contribute to a more circular system.‘We can break old garments, recycle the old polyester and then mix it with our new recycled polyester fabric,’ says Dinh.‘From the beginning, our primary goal has been to create a closed cycle.’