Made to order to reduce overproduction:

Fast fashion has made overconsumption more appealing than ever. It may be tempting to buy that new trending top but the fashion industry has our thrift stores overflowing and garments are constantly being thrown away; often before they’re even worn a single time. Our planet cannot sustain the amount of overproduction and consumption fast fashion promotes. This is why all of our products are made to order, although it may take longer to get to you, it’s a kinder option for our oceans. 

Every order = 1 lb of plastic pulled directly from the ocean with 4ocean.

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact as much as possible. We will never claim to be perfect and encourage people to ship mindfully, thrift, repair and use what they already own if they have the option. There are things we can do to try and help reduce our impact even further which is why we have partnered with EcoDrive and 4ocean to pull 1 lb of plastic with every order placed. 

Donations and Partnerships:

We choose a new ocean cause to donate a portion of our profits to annually. Rather than committing to a flat percentage we evaluate this number every year to donate the highest amount reasonable. Throughout the year we are always looking to collaborate with different organizations. 

In 2024 we donated to Samaritan’s Purse for Hurricane Helene relief and Minorities In Shark Science (MISS) for the North Carolina Bull Shark Project. 

Our swimwear fabric:

What is recycled polyester?

Recycled polyester (rPET for short) is a fabric made with synthetic fibers and produced by recycling existing materials such as plastic bottles and packaging.

How is recycled polyester made?

Recycled polyester is made by crushing plastic products into small pieces that are processed into yarn, transformed into a fiber, and then made into a fabric.

How is recycled polyester more sustainable?

Producing rPet takes 33% to 53% less energy than creating polyester from scratch. rPet produces approximately 54.6% fewer CO2 emissions to the air than virgin polyester. 

All of our suits are made using a minimum of 81% recycled polyester. We take additional steps to make our swimwear more sustainable by utilizing scrap fabric for our scrunchies to reduce waste.

Our Ocean Inspired Prints:

All of our prints are drawn in house by our founder to raise awareness for ocean conservation and are exclusive to Shark Fin Swim. You have the power to show up for what you love and start a conversation with others on the problems our marine life are facing. All of our collections are limited edition to keep bringing attention to new species. 

Packaging: 

Our shipping partner and manufacturer’s use PCR (post consumer recycled) mailers. The recycled plastic per bag depends on each facility, but worldwide it’s at least 70% PCR for the outside packaging and at least 50% for the inside (clear) bags used in multi-item shipments.

Preorders are mailed in biodegradable mailers from Impackco. Impackco mailers are made with D2W. They are recyclable but in the case that it winds up as litter, it will break down into carbon dioxide, water & biomass, making them easily consumed by bacteria & fungi in the environment. As we grow our first priority to eliminate any form of plastic packaging. 

 Global Recycled Standard (GRS):

The GRS certification helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases. There’s a lot of greenwashing out there and it can be hard to tell what’s really going on or if it’s just marketing fluff. 

The GRS standard aims to reduce the harmful impact of fabric production on our environment, that products are manufactured in a more eco conscious way and to ensure a higher percentage of recycled materials are being used to create a product. 

The GRS standard verifies that the materials used are truly recycled with either pre or post consumer material. There are specific requirements that must be met for products at GRS sites to prevent any harmful chemicals from being used on GRS certified products. 

Having certifications like GRS and others that are out there help to encourage more companies to use recycled materials in their products and reassure consumers that what they’re buying is really what they expect and is upheld to their strict standards. All of our suits are made using GRS certified fabric.

Want to learn more about GRS? Check it out here!

OEK TEX 100 certified dyes and thread.

Not only is the fashion industry problematic for microplastic pollution and carbon emissions but fast fashion often uses harmful dyes that pollute our water ways with harmful chemicals via runoff and when disposed.

OEKO-TEX® certification is a leading label for textile safety across the globe proving that the certified products are free of hazardous chemicals. We use OEKO-TEX® certified inks and thread for embroidery designs.