Which activewear has no plastic in the fabric, the waistband elastic, the zip pocket or the thread?
This category is being vetted. Nothing here is a recommendation yet.
Where plastic hides in activewear
The fabric is the loudest claim and the smallest part of the problem. Standard activewear is polyester, nylon and elastane from end to end. Swap in merino, cotton or hemp and the trims are still there. Waistbands are elastane wrapped in nylon or polyester. Zip pockets close on polyester-tape zippers, drawcords are polyester, and mesh panels are polyester. Seams are sewn with polyester or nylon thread, reflective logos are heat-bonded polymer film, and a merino knit built to stretch usually has a nylon or elastane core in the yarn. Wicking and quick-dry finishes on cotton are polymer treatments.
What to check before you buy
- Fabric: 100% merino, cotton or hemp, or a blend with nylon, polyester or elastane?
- Stretch: from the knit alone, or from elastane or a nylon core in the yarn?
- Waistband: cotton or named natural rubber elastic, or elastane?
- Drawcord and zip pocket: cotton cord, and a zipper with the tape named?
- Thread and seam tape: cotton, or polyester and nylon?
- Finish: a wicking, quick-dry or odor treatment, or none?
- Logos and labels: stitched cotton, or heat-bonded film?