Closing Updated on August 23, 2023
These eco nice yoga mat producers present sustainable and non toxic yoga mats! Standard yoga mats are made with doubtlessly harmful substances that could be troublesome to recycle. Instead, the subsequent producers present sustainable provides and ethical practices for a yoga mat you can be pleased with.
This submit presents you 11 mannequin decisions for a non toxic yoga mat, along with options for the proper yoga mat for heat yoga along with the proper non slip yoga mat. An eco nice yoga mat is an effective solution to proceed your yoga observe at residence with out harming the environment — or your effectively being! — from using a mat that’s crammed with harmful and toxic chemical compounds.
the need for a sustainable yoga mat
Think about it or not, the yoga mat is a fairly new invention that started to catch on inside the Nineteen Eighties. Beginning in India, Yoga was first practiced on grass. Superior strikes required additional padding, so early yogis used deer and tiger skins for a lot of of their asanas.
Now, the usual yoga mat you’ll uncover in retailers is usually constructed from versatile plastic, aka polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Nonetheless, this supplies is questionable on account of its environmental affect (additional on that later) and is usually arduous to recycle.
Whereas in precept PVC may very well be recycled, there have to be a requirement for the raw supplies, or it gained’t be worthwhile. There’s moreover the difficulty of contaminants like plasticizers, dyes, and dirt from fastened use that make PVC yoga mats undesirable to recyclers.
For many who do already private a PVC yoga mat, try to upcycle it into under-knee padding for gardening or add it beneath a sleeping bag to extra soften a flooring. In some other case, your solely possibility is to resolve on a sustainable yoga mat.
For many who’re inquisitive about discovering inexperienced yoga mats, there are a selection of decisions to pick out from. I’ve rounded up the proper sustainable yoga mats within the market. Merely bear in mind, using what you’ll have is always essentially the most appropriate selection!
the damage yoga mats set off
Many normal yoga mats are constructed from plastic, significantly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) — aka plastic resin #3, which is hard to recycle.
The Environmental Security Firm (EPA) calculates that 910,000 tons of PVC waste are generated yearly, nevertheless decrease than 1 / 4 of 1 p.c is recovered for recycling.
PVC is chemically manipulated all through manufacturing to get that versatile plastic the enterprise loves. Sadly, these parts and PVC’s inherent chlorine content material materials complicate the recycling course of for this plastic.
These chemical compounds usually embody phthalates, which have a controversial background and will have hostile effectively being outcomes.
In accordance with a newest study, continuous publicity to phthalates can adversely have an effect on the endocrine system and the functioning of a lot of organs. This will more and more set off unfavorable long-term impacts on the success of being pregnant, teenager progress and progress, and reproductive methods in every youthful children and adolescents.
Whereas typically using a PVC yoga mat isn’t so unhealthy, you might want to choose a novel supplies for those who occur to’re able to — like pure rubber, jute, pure cotton, or cork.
can you recycle yoga mats?
Not every recycling facility is ready to recycling PVC, so that you just’ll ought to double check what your native recycling authorized tips say. You’ll be able to do that by visiting your native .gov or trying Earth911’s database.
It’s worth noting that PVC isn’t always a worthwhile supplies to recycle each — and recycling is a enterprise, in any case. If no one is inquisitive about searching for the raw supplies, recycling facilities will lose money and deem the material worthless.
There is a recycling program — Manduka’s LiveON program — the place you buy a model new Manduka mat and choose in order so as to add the LiveON program to your purchase. Everytime you receive your new Manduka mat, merely place your earlier mat inside the discipline and join the included pay as you go supply label (they could accept any mannequin of yoga mat).
The mat will then endure a way of downcycling, the place it’s going to get recycled into completely different merchandise like carpet padding, soles of footwear, or animal shelter bedding.
It’s possible you’ll as effectively try upcycling or donating your earlier yoga mats. Reuse them on a picnic or on the seashore, upcycle them into teenager safety flooring, or try donating them to an space retirement neighborhood (numerous which run yoga classes and would possibly use additional mats). Native artists might also accept them for use in paintings duties.
what’s essentially the most eco nice yoga mat supplies?
Most likely essentially the most eco nice yoga mat supplies is one which’s constructed from pure or recycled provides. Top-of-the-line supplies for you may rely in your non-public preferences, the underside area you’re working with (carpeted floor? exterior?), and the types of exercises you’ll be doing.
Numerous the producers listed in a while this submit have yoga mat decisions acceptable for every indoor and out of doors observe.
Moreover, for those who occur to want to actually really feel the bottom beneath you, go for a thinner mat. For many who desire a bit extra help, a thicker mat is best. Nonetheless, bear in mind it’s solely a matter of need.
For first rate yoga, provides like cork are good — they’re odor-free, to start out with, because of breathable flooring. Cork naturally inhibits micro organism, mould, and fungal progress for regular hygiene security.
Some examples of sustainable provides for yoga mats:
- Jute: Jute is extracted from the bark of the white jute plant (Corchorus capsularis), and to a lesser extent, from tossa jute. Yoga mats made with all-natural jute are typically good for heat yoga, they usually’re sometimes blended with Polymer Environmental Resin (PER) for added grip.
- Pure rubber: Harvested straight from rubber bushes, Manduka’s eko line of yoga mats attribute 99% latex-free, non-Amazon harvested pure tree rubber.
- Pure cork: Pure cork comes from cork oak forests, the place the tree is not decrease down, and the bark grows once more. Scoria, Yoloha, and Urbivore all use cork of their yoga mats.
- Pure or recycled cotton: Pure cotton doesn’t use pesticides or fertilizers which is able to pollute waterways and hurt soil. Recycled cotton ensures the resource-intensive cotton crop doesn’t go to waste by reuse. Oko Residing, Abhinehkrafts, and Brentwood Dwelling use pure or recycle cotton of their mats.
- Recycled plastic: Recycled plastic has a smaller carbon footprint than virgin provides. Sugamats makes yoga mats from recycled wetsuits, which in some other case could be landfilled.
cork: a sustainable and non toxic yoga mat
People sometimes shock if cork is eco nice. The reply is bound, cork yoga mats are environmentally nice as prolonged as they’re constructed from pure cork. Pure cork comes from cork oak bushes predominantly grown in Portugal. These cork oak forests are hotspots for biodiversity and residential to a lot of endangered species similar to the Iberian Linx.
Pure cork is harvested skillfully by hand by eradicating the tree’s bark. The tree is not harmed all through this course of, and the bark is allowed to develop once more and regenerate. The harvesting course of may very well be repeated about every 9 years for over 200 years.
Plus, cork oak forests are essential carbon sinks, which help fight native climate change. A well-managed cork forest can take in over 20 million tons of CO2 yearly.
For these causes, shopping for a yoga mat constructed from pure cork is an environmentally nice risk — though there are a selection of various sustainable provides too, like pure cotton, pure rubber, recycled plastic, and so forth.
non-toxic and sustainable yoga mat producers
These 11 yoga mats get the going zero waste seal of approval. All of these producers present yoga mats with out PVC, and most of them give once more to the planet by tree planting, recycling functions, and further.
I’ve gone ahead and highlighted some key choices of each mannequin, nevertheless it isn’t an exhaustive itemizing. Keep in mind to try their websites for additional data.
To take care of your mat clear, I prefer to suggest testing my DIY yoga mat cleaner spray! It’s easy to whip up and non-toxic.
Moreover, for those who occur to’re a yoga fanatic, ensure that to replenish on some Tiger Balm. It’s helpful to have for those who occur to by likelihood pull a muscle or get sore after a train. I always keep a spare in my well being membership bag!
1. scoria
- Made out of pure cork and sustainably harvested rubber
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Low affect dyes
- Portion of proceeds goes to Correct to Play, an organization that empowers Indigenous youth
/ SHOP SCORIA /
2. oko dwelling
- 100% GOTS Licensed pure cotton
- Dyed with medicinal Ayurvedic plant dyes
- Non-slip pure rubber backing
- Ethically handwoven in India
/ SHOP OKO LIVING /
3. manduka
- EKo mat assortment constructed from sustainably harvested, non-Amazon tree rubber
- Biodegradable provides
- No PVC or harmful plasticizers
- Recycle your earlier yoga mat by their Dwell On program
/ SHOP MANDUKA /
4. sugamats
- Made out of recycled wetsuits
- Ship them your earlier wetsuit to be recycled, get a ten% low value
- Sugamat C2G: if one thing happens to it, merely ship it once more, they normally’ll ship you a model new one on them
- Made inside the USA
/ SHOP SUGAMATS /
5. yoga tribe
- Pure tree rubber and jute yoga mats
- 1 yr different producer’s assure
- Eco and compostable packaging
- Free supply to NZ on orders over $100
/ SHOP YOGA TRIBE /
6. yoloha
- Sustainable cork flooring
- Plant foam constructed from 55% sugarcane
- Carbon neutral supply
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Youth, veteran, and effectively being care worker functions
/ SHOP YOLOHA /
7. gaiam
- Eco nice yoga mat decisions obtainable
- Made with recycled, pure and sustainable provides like jute, cork, and pure rubber
- Supreme for heat yoga
/ SHOP GET GAIAM /
8. jade yoga
- Made out of pure rubber tapped from rubber bushes
- No PVC, EVA, or completely different synthetic rubber
- Made inside the US
- Crops a tree for every mat supplied
/ SHOP JADE YOGA /
9. brentwood residence
- GOTS licensed pure cotton yoga mats
- Non-slip base of FSC licensed pure latex
- Native climate Neutral affiliate, to chop again and offset emissions
- Vegan and cruelty free
10. yogakargha
- Handwoven yoga mats from pure fabric like pure or recycled cotton
- Distinctive pure fibers like banana, grass, and wool decisions
- Pure rubber coating for anti-skid risk
/ SHOP YOGAKARGHA /
11. urbivore
- All pure, non-toxic cork yoga mats
- Little to no waste in manufacturing course of
- Each purchase vegetation a tree
/ SHOP URBIVORE /
faqs
which of these decisions is the proper yoga mat for heat yoga?
As stated above, the proper yoga mat for heat yoga is one which makes use of a fabric equivalent to pure cork. Of the above producers, I’d counsel Urbivore or Gaiam. Scoria and Yoloha could be good candidates to your scorching yoga observe as properly.
which mannequin affords the proper non slip yoga mat?
Top-of-the-line non slip yoga mat could have a backing on it made to keep up it common if you’re on it. YogaKargha, Brentwood Dwelling, or Oko Residing are my options for those who occur to look at on a clear or slippery flooring and need one factor with some endurance.
So, would you give thought-about one among these sustainable yoga mats a try? Let me know inside the suggestions beneath!