Sustainability

South Beach Boardies is a family-run brand based in South Fremantle, shaped by a long connection to the ocean and the places we spend time in.

Sustainability, for us, is about the decisions behind what we make — the materials we choose, the people we work with, and how those choices evolve over time.

It’s not a fixed position. It’s an ongoing process of improvement.

Our approach

We think about sustainability across three connected areas:

  • materials
  • manufacturing
  • product longevity

Each one matters, but none of them work in isolation.

Our aim is to create beachwear that feels good to wear, performs in real conditions, and is made with care at every stage.

Materials first

We choose materials based on what each garment needs to do, balancing performance, comfort, and environmental impact rather than applying a single fabric rule across everything.

A key material we use is recycled PET polyester, made from recycled plastic bottles. This gives waste plastic a second life as durable, quick-dry fabric suited to swimwear and active beachwear.

Across our range, we use a minimum of 85% recycled content in our recycled polyester fabrics, depending on the garment and its performance requirements.

We also use organic cotton and plant-based fibres such as TENCEL™ Lyocell, chosen for breathability, softness, and lower-impact production methods.

Each material is selected for a purpose — whether that’s durability in the water, comfort in everyday wear, or reduced reliance on virgin resources.

How our products are made

We work with long-term manufacturing partners in Italy, China, and the USA, depending on the specialist requirements of each product.

These are the same partners we refer to in our Social Responsibility approach, and we stay closely involved in how our garments are made — from sampling and fabric selection through to fit and final production.

Our factories are chosen based on capability, quality, and recognised ethical and environmental standards, including BSCI and Amfori compliance.

We use external certifications where they apply, including:

  • Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
  • OEKO-TEX® Standard 100

Understanding both who makes our clothes and how they are made is central to how we work.

Why we don’t manufacture in Australia

We are often asked why we don’t produce locally.

At present, we cannot access the same combination of specialised swimwear manufacturing, fabric infrastructure, and scalable ethical production available through our international partners.

Local manufacturing would also significantly increase retail prices, limiting accessibility.

That said, it remains something we continue to revisit as the industry evolves.

Packaging

We only use recycled, recyclable, and compostable materials in our labelling and packaging.

Our packaging is designed to reduce unnecessary waste, and we avoid plastic wherever we can.

Looking forward

We started South Beach Boardies because we couldn’t find beachwear that aligned with both lifestyle and responsibility.

That intention still guides how we make decisions today.

We’ll continue refining what we make, how we make it, and who we make it with — continually trying to minimise impact and maximise social benefit.