Did you know that tights are one of the most polluting items in your wardrobe?
Chiefly made from nylon, a thermoplastic, tights require a great deal of environment-polluting heat to create, and every time a pair is washed it releases microplastics into the water.
Their delicate nature means it’s difficult to build them to last, which goes some way to explaining how a staggering 225 million pairs were bought last year in the UK alone, according to Eco-Age.
Several sustainable hosiery start-ups have launched in recent years in a bid to tackle the problem, and this week Boots became the first major high street retailer to offer a range of eco tights, with the launch of a range of tights made from plastic bottles.
Promised to be just as comfortable and durable as regular nylon tights, each pair of the new black opaque tights is made from approximately four plastic bottles.
Each of the bottles is shredded into microparticles, melted down and spun into yarn. The yarn is then knitted to produce comfortable, durable tights that stand the test of time and use no nylon.
“Introducing tights made from plastic bottles is another stepping stone in our commitment to being more environmentally friendly," says Sarah Crawley, Wellness Director at Boots UK. "We’ve noticed a real shift in our customers attitudes to sustainability and we’re really excited to be offering them alternative products that are kinder to the planet. These tights will be a new staple to my everyday wardrobe, they’re super soft, great quality and really comfortable.”
For now the tights are only available in black, 80 denier (Sizes S, M, L, XL) and are priced £8.50.
This is another step towards becoming sustainable taken by the retailer, who last year switched all its bags from plastic to paper and introduced refillable water stations in some of its stores.
The eco-tights are available on boots.com now, and will hit stores on March 16.
