Carbon Footprint of Swimwear

This page provides an in-depth analysis of the carbon footprint of swimwear products, offering valuable insights and benchmarks to help sustainability professionals drive impact reduction strategies. By examining process-level emissions data and key patterns, brands can identify hotspots and opportunities specific to this product category.

4.9 kg CO2e The Carbon Footprint of Swimwear Swimwear Carbon Footprint
What's the Carbon Footprint of Swimwear?

What's the Carbon Footprint of Swimwear?

The average carbon footprint of swimwear is 5.87 kg CO₂e per product. This footprint covers emissions from manufacturing stages like raw materials, yarn formation, preparation, coloration, finishing, and assembly. With 3,577 products analyzed, the emissions range from 1.77 to 12.96 kg CO₂e, highlighting opportunities for reducing environmental impact across this product category.
  • Minimum footprint: 1.77 kg CO2e
  • Median footprint: 4.9 kg CO2e
  • Maximum footprint: 12.96 kg CO2e

Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Swimwear Production

Each swimwear's footprint includes emissions from multiple manufacturing stages. The following process steps were identified as carbon hotspots for swimwear:
  • Coloration 0.53 kg CO₂e
  • Finishing 0.55 kg CO₂e
  • Yarn Formation 0.27 kg CO₂e
Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Swimwear Production

Key Insights from the Environmental Data on Swimwear

Coloration and Finishing Dominate Emissions

The coloration (0.53 kg CO₂e) and finishing (0.55 kg CO₂e) steps account for the highest carbon emissions in swimwear production. Improving efficiency and exploring lower-impact alternatives in these areas could significantly reduce the overall footprint.

Upstream Material Impacts

Raw materials (0.23 kg CO₂e) and yarn formation (0.27 kg CO₂e) also contribute notable emissions, indicating the importance of sustainable sourcing and processing for fibers and yarns used in swimwear.

Product Variation Opportunity

With a range of 1.77 to 12.96 kg CO₂e per product, there is an opportunity to analyze high and low emission swimwear designs to identify drivers of variation and implement best practices across the category.

Lightweight Product Advantages

Given the relatively low average product mass of 149 g, swimwear may have an inherent advantage in reducing material-related emissions compared to heavier apparel categories, if sustainable materials and processes are prioritized.

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References

Data sourced from Carbonfact’s proprietary database, powered by over 50 million LCAs run on textile, fashion, and footwear products. The methodology is aligned with the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and adapted for product category specificity.

Find more information about our LCA methodology here.
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