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"Made from recycled bottles" is the default swim-trunk sustainability pitch now, which makes it worth asking a sharper question: how many bottles, verified by whom, and is that the brand's only environmental claim or one piece of a broader program? The five brands below range from a fully GRS/GOTS/OEKO-TEX/RWS-certified B Corp to a small operator whose recycled-content claim we couldn't independently verify beyond its own statement.
The short answer: choose United By Blue for the deepest certification stack here — GRS, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, RWS, B Corp, and Climate Neutral — or Fair Harbor for a B Corp with a specific, checkable per-pair recycled-bottle count. Want a technical boardshort or a budget pick instead? See the full comparison below.
This is a different list from our
related roundup of alternatives to Chubbies specifically — that piece compares brands as direct Chubbies replacements; this one is a broader best-of across the category, so a couple of names appear on both lists for good reason, evaluated with the same standard each time.
How we checked each brand
A recycled-content claim and a labor or B Corp certification answer different questions — one is about the fabric's origin, the other about the company's overall practices and factory oversight. We note specifically which kind of evidence backs each brand rather than treating any "sustainable materials" claim as fully verified.
1. United By Blue
United By Blue's swim trunks are 100% recycled polyester, GRS certified — an independent audit of recycled content and chain of custody — and the brand additionally holds GOTS, OEKO-TEX, and RWS fiber certifications alongside its own B Corp and Climate Neutral company-level certifications. It also organizes beach cleanups and states it removes one pound of ocean plastic per item sold — a giving program, separate from the certifications above.
Trunks run about $60–$75.
Best for: the deepest certification stack of any brand on this list.
2. Fair Harbor
Fair Harbor is a certified B Corp, and its Anchor trunks are a specific, disclosed 88% recycled polyester and 12% spandex blend made from 12 recycled plastic bottles per pair — a per-product figure, not just a brand-wide percentage. The brand states it has diverted 37 million bottles total to date.
Trunks run about $68–$88.
Best for: a B Corp with a specific, checkable per-pair recycled-bottle count.
3. Vissla
Vissla's Eco-Lastics line blends upcycled coconut-husk agricultural waste with Repreve recycled-bottle fiber, and the brand states its full boardshort range uses PFC-free DWR water repellency, avoiding the PFAS chemicals found in many standard water-resistant coatings. Repreve is itself a traceable, independently branded recycled fiber, which is a stronger evidentiary basis than a generic "recycled polyester" claim.
Boardshorts run about $60–$70, aimed more at surf performance than casual swim trunks.
Best for: technical boardshorts with PFAS-free water repellency, not casual trunks.
4. Junk in Your Trunks
Junk in Your Trunks makes its trunks from 90% recycled PET plastic and 10% spandex, and the brand states its fabric carries Global Recycled Standard certification and Taiwan Green Mark recognition. This is a small operator without the company-wide certification stack of United By Blue or Fair Harbor — the recycled-content claim is specific, but we could not independently verify the certification beyond the brand's own description.
Trunks run about $45–$55, in retro basketball-short-inspired prints.
Best for: novelty prints from a small recycled-materials brand, with certification claims taken at the brand's word.
5. Myoli Bay
Myoli Bay states its shorts are made from recycled plastic bottles and a proprietary spandex-blend liner, but we could not find any third-party certification — GRS, OEKO-TEX, B Corp, or otherwise — behind that claim, nor a detailed materials breakdown. Treat this as a brand-stated claim rather than independently verified evidence.
Shorts run about $50–$60.
Best for: shoppers comfortable with an unverified recycled-materials claim from a small, newer brand.
Which one should you actually buy
- Want the deepest certification stack: United By Blue.
- Want a specific per-pair recycled-bottle count: Fair Harbor.
- Want technical, PFAS-free boardshorts: Vissla.
- Want novelty prints and don't need independent certification: Junk in Your Trunks.
- Comfortable with an unverified claim from a newer, smaller brand: Myoli Bay.
If a Chubbies replacement specifically is what brought you here, see our sustainable alternatives to Chubbies comparison. For everyday basics to pair with a swim trunk on a warm-weather trip, our sustainable t-shirts for men roundup and men's carry-on packing list cover the rest of the bag.