Sustainability

OUR COMMITMENT

We understand that our operations have an impact on the environment and are committed to minimising this. We will continually explore and implement ways to operate sustainably.

MATERIALS

Our Tow Floats are made from PVC while our Dry Bags (except the Window) are made from a Nylon / PVC mix. Our bum bags are made from TPU and our swim hats from silicone. We are working with our suppliers to find more sustainable materials for our product range. At present we have not found alternatives that deliver the quality we require. Given the critical safety function of our products we need to ensure that any new material we use is of equal or greater quality to that which we currently use.

The demand for plastic alternatives means that the industry is moving forward quickly and we are keeping up with the latest innovations so that we can start using alternative materials as soon as they are available on the market. Current compostable materials do not satisfy our requirements in regard to quality and ease of disposal.

RECYCLING & RE-USE

At present in the UK the types of plastic that can be recycled varies between local authority area. Currently PVC and PVC / Nylon recycling schemes are very rare in the UK, although some companies will accept used PVC and make it into other products. 

PVC is an incredibly durable material which makes it great for long lasting products but difficult to recycle. The mix of materials and different densities of plastic (i.e solid handles and valves) mean that there is no widespread accessible industrial route to recycle used Swim Secure products either. 
We manufacture our products to a high standard and if looked after properly they should gives years of use. We recommend using your Swim Secure product for as long as possible, and we are investigating alternative uses for working products that are no longer needed.

We are working with our manufacturers to investigate alternative materials such as recycled plastic and / or compostable materials. However we have yet to find a material that offers the same level of safety and durability as our current products. 

We sell spare leashes, waist belts, valves and chest straps for our products to prolong their lifespan for as long as possible. 

PACKAGING

The packaging for our Tow Floats and Dry Bags is currently made from PVC. Please check with your local authority to see if this is a type of plastic that can be recycled in your local kerbside collection. We encourage customers to keep their packaging to store their products in, or to use their packaging to keep wet swim kit in. For events we are working with our suppliers to ship products unpacked to eliminate single use plastic waste.

We are introducing cardboard packaging – which can be recycled – throughout the range. We have already switched to cardboard for our Phone Bags and Waist Belt & Leash sets. As we get through stock we will be introducing cardboard packaging for our Bum Bags too. Our goal is to introduce cardboard packaging throughout the range. 

Products dispatched from our warehouse direct to customers are sent in compostable or paper bags, with minimal packaging. Larger orders are sent to our retailers and distributors in re-used cardboard boxes.

TRANSPORT

We aim to transport all our products from our manufacturers in Asia to our warehouse in the UK by sea. Where possible we deliver products from our manufacturers to our international distributors by sea using the most direct route. We have expanded our warehousing capacity and increased our stock holding levels to reduce the likelihood that we have to fly in products due to low stock. We encourage our wholesale customers to order seasonally in bulk to reduce the number of orders being shipped.