Business

Amni Soul Eco Fabric Is 100% Biodegradable, Compostable

Philadelphia-based fitness company Aqua Vida offers leggings and shorts made with Amni Soul Ecofabric that is 100% recyclable and reusable - and in an anaerobic landfill or compost heap, will decompose in under three years.

Amni Soul Eco intelligent yarn from chemistry company Solvay. The polyamide yarn provides antibacterial benefits and UV protection, according to the company. Some other benefits: the clothing is lightweight, will far outlive cheaper fabrics, and includes intelligent moisture absorption, per Aqua Vida. The apparel is intended for yoga, surfing, working out in the gym, or other exercise activities.

Don't worry about sweat - these biodegradable leggings won't decompose while you're moving in them. Instead, the fabric only begins to break down when it's surrounded by bacteria in an anaerobic landfill or compost bin. Otherwise, its shelf life is as lengthy as that of traditional polyamides, according to Aqua Vida. The process to create the yarn is also sustainable - per Aqua Vida, the fabric "is produced in a closed cycle manufacturing system, a production process which collects and recycles scrap, wastewater, raw materials found in the water, and heat that is generated in some of the production phases."

Aqua Vida, which sells clothes and offers standup paddleboard yoga classes, highlights sustainability as one of their values on their website; they host ocean cleanups with the goal of removing 10,000 pounds of trash from waterways by 2020. With 16 cleanups behind them, they've removed 3,341 pounds of garbage so far. The company says for every dollar customers spend, they allocate one percent to local water conservation efforts, which includes their cleanups.