'Craziest, Coolest Thing': Sac State Student Uses Unique Materials To Sell Sustainable Bathing Suits

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Taking fashion frustration and turning it into clever clothing, some Sacramento women are on a mission to cut down on clothing waste.

Sacramento State University student Becky Routh puts a lot of thought into every stitch she sews, but she's using materials you may not have imagined.

Hunkered down in a corner of her mom's house, Routh makes bathing suits, or Beckinis as she calls them, out of material made of regenerated fishing nets.

"Which I think is the craziest, coolest thing," said Routh. "A lot of people are having this re-sparked interest in ocean waste and stuff, which I think is amazing."

Routh focuses on sustainable clothing instead of mass fast-fashion many are used to buying.

"Fashion is probably the number one waste factor in the world that has such a huge impact," said Rachel Minyard, owner of Midtown Sacramento clothing store, Purpose.

The average consumer throws away around 70 pounds of clothes per year. Minyard only sells products from producers who leave a minimal carbon footprint, pointing out many wear an article of clothing once and then throw it away.

The hope is that those one-and-done outfits will one day be sustainable. After all, even the packaging Routh uses is as reusable and plastic-free as possible.

"You can see on the back these little specks. And it feels just like paper but it's actually seeds," said Routh.

Once you've got your Beckini bathing suit on, you can actually plant the tag and grow some flowers.

"There will be flowers somewhere in a compost landfill," said Routh.

We produce 13 million tons of textile waste globally each year. About 95% of that could be reused or recycled.