Speedo Releases New Line of Swim Trunks Made of Recycled Plastic Bottles!

If you’re plugged into the pulse of the world, you know that there is one issue that everybody is talking about, tweeting, and agreeing on – plastic pollution. The reason for this is simple, the world has a serious addiction to plastic and it’s starting to have a devastating impact on plants, animals, and humans.

Every year we produce 300 million tons of plastic and 78 percent of this plastic is not reclaimed or recycled. So where does it all go? Well, 8.8 million tons of plastics make their way into our oceans. From there, the larger pieces choke and entangle marine life who often mistake it for food – over 99 percent of seabirds have ingested plastic waste!

And birds aren’t the only ones eating plastic. It takes plastic waste over 2,000 years to fully break down, but we don’t see its entire lifespan. Once in the ocean, plastic begins to degrade into tiny pieces known as microplastics. These microplastics have begun to infiltrate nearly every part of underwater ecosystems. They are taken in through fishes gills, embedded in the marine vegetation, and eventually, ingested by most marine life – then the people who eat them. A recent study from the University of Ghent shows that the problem with microplastics is not limited to our oceans, estimates that the average person who eats fish also ingests 11,000 microplastics every year.

As more disturbing facts about the cost of our plastic dependency come to light, artists, entrepreneurs, and activists are coming up with creative solutions to reduce our need for disposable plastics and reuse the plastics we do produce. Apparently, Speedo had been paying attention to all the buzz – their spring/summer line of swim trunks for men, the Guide Watershort, uses Xpress Dry fabric that is made from recycled plastic bottles!

The shorts are designed for both fitness and pleasure, so gentlemen, whether you’re hitting the pool or the beach this summer, be sure you pick up a pair of these dynamic trunks. They will make you look good (because they are stylish as all get out) and feel good (because you’ll know that you are keeping plastic waste out of the ocean)!

Every year we produce around 50 billion plastic bottles and the ones that don’t get made into swim suits eventually end up in our oceans.  But you can keep 116 plastic bottles out of the ocean every year with one easy trick – bring a reusable water bottle with you when you leave the house.

For more tips on how to prevent plastic Pollution from entering our waterways, join One Green Planet’s #CrushPlastic movement and join the millions of other innovators fighting for cleaner oceans.

Image source: Speedo