What is an Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat?
Many yoga mat manufacturers claim their products are environmentally friendly. But what does that really mean?
We found that the eco-friendliness of yoga mats is not black and white. It’s more like an incline, and some yoga mats are more environmentally friendly than others.
How environmentally friendly a yoga mat depends on what it’s made of, how it’s made, and how it’s disposed of.
An eco-friendly yoga mat is made from natural materials sourced from sustainable and renewable resources.
These materials are biodegradable or recyclable. Eco-friendly yoga mats are manufactured and disposed of in a way that does not release toxic chemicals into the environment.
The reason to buy an eco-friendly yoga mat is to avoid poisoning the body and polluting the environment with materials such as PVC.
Most companies will tell you what your yoga mat is made of, but some will only tell you what their mat doesn’t contain.
The manufacturing process of the yoga mat is as important as the treatment. But that information is hard to find, and most sellers don’t include all the relevant details.
What are Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat Materials?
There are a variety of eco-friendly yoga mats on the market today. As a result, you can remain eco-conscious without compromising the quality of your practice.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can opt for organic and sustainably sourced yoga mats.
There are seven environmentally friendly materials commonly used to make yoga mats. Eco PVC and Eco TPE are synthetic and not completely environmentally friendly, the other 5 are natural materials.
Cotton
Natural rubber
Cork/Natural rubber
Jute/Natural rubber
Wool
Cotton
In India, cotton is the traditional material for yoga mats. It is usually woven by hand.
Cotton is a crop that requires a lot of water, fertilizer, and herbicides. Organic cotton is grown in an environmentally friendly way, so opting for an organic cotton yoga mat is a better choice.
A cotton yoga mat has a better grip when wet. You can use a cotton yoga mat for high-intensity yoga such as Ashtanga, vinyasa, power yoga, and hot yoga. Natural and organic cotton yoga mats can help you with more subtle exercises like Yin, Kundalini, and Iyengar.
A pure cotton yoga mat will last a lifetime, and you can clean it as much as you want. So it’s great for outdoor yoga.
The downside is cushioning compared to other non-fabric yoga mats. It’s not as soft as a natural rubber yoga mat.
Cotton yoga mats can also be slippery on some polished surfaces. On the plus side, you can just make a “grab it pad” (although it’s made of PVC).
Natural Rubber Yoga Mat
There are many manufacturers of natural rubber yoga mats that come in a wide variety of colors, designs, and styles.
Natural rubber is harvested from rubber trees in South America (Brazil) and South Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam). The production of natural rubber helps local communities in these countries.
Natural rubber yoga mats provide all the comfort of synthetic materials without the release of toxic chemicals into the environment. They are washable, waterproof, cushioned, and durable.
Natural rubber is suitable for many types of yoga. Although some companies state that their natural rubber yoga mats should not be used for hot yoga.
Natural rubber yoga mats exposed to sunlight and extreme temperatures decline faster. So you need to change your yoga mat every few years.
Natural rubber is biodegradable. So at the end of its life, you can safely throw it away.
Cork/Natural Rubber Yoga Mat
Cork is a natural material made from the cortex of oak trees. It is a renewable resource and does not damage trees during harvesting.
Portugal and Spain are very popular cork-producing countries.
Most cork yoga mats are made of cork on one side and a different material (such as natural rubber) on the other to make it non-slippery on the floor surface.
Cork and natural rubber are biodegradable.
Cork is antibacterial. Even if you practice every day, a cork yoga mat can last for years. You can use it for any type of yoga, including hot yoga.
Jute/Natural Rubber Yoga Mat
Jute is a natural fiber that can be woven into fabrics. It is 100% biodegradable and recyclable.
When jute is used on a yoga mat, it is mixed with PER or natural rubber. PER(Polymer – environmentally friendly resin) is a polymer resin derived from the PVC we talked about earlier. The PER will eventually degrade in the environment.
So, the disadvantage of a jute yoga mat is the production PER, which is not environmentally friendly.
Wool Yoga Mat
Wool is a sustainable resource. It is produced without harming sheep. Organic wool benefits small producers and has less impact on the environment.
I recommend using a wool mat for more calming yoga such as Yin yoga, Kundalini yoga, mantra yoga, meditation, and relaxation.
The downside is that the wool is rough on the skin and may cause irritation to sensitive skin.
Why Choose an Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat?
You may not know it, but when you practice yoga, you may be intoxicating yourself and contributing to environmental pollution.
Yoga is a spiritual practice. It connects you to yourself and your environment. So it makes sense to do yoga using a mat made of materials that don’t harm your health or the planet.
While you may pay more for an eco-friendly yoga mat, it will give you a whole new experience. Imagine practicing yoga from the comfort of your yoga mat, knowing that your choices make the world a cleaner place.
Look around and you’ll find a variety of eco-friendly yoga mats. All of these products have the word “ecological” in their names and are made of similar materials. So why are some products two to three times more expensive than others?
To answer that question, we spent a few weeks looking at the difference between so-called “eco-friendly” yoga mats. It turns out there’s more to creating an eco-friendly yoga mat than just the title.
How to Choose an Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat?
When choosing a yoga mat, you need to check the material, thickness, size, and design. Read our guide to find out how to choose the right yoga mat. For eco-friendly yoga mats, consider organic and sustainably sourced organic and recycled materials.
For your convenience, we’ve put together a list of eco-friendly yoga mat options.
Checklist for Choosing an Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat
Yoga mat material
Materials: Are they sustainable? Renewable? Recyclable? Moral generation? Organic certification?
Does the production of yoga mats release toxic chemicals?
Yoga mat manufacturing
Does the company have a sustainability or organic production certificate?
Is the production of the material non-toxic to the environment and workers?
How does the company support the ethical well-being of the people who make yoga mats?
Does the company donate to local communities or charities?
Bonus: Eco-friendly packaging
Yoga mat use
Does it fit your purpose: size, thickness, material, weight, type of yoga, and practice location (studio, home, travel)?
Is it easy to look after it?
Does it wash?
Yoga mat disposal
How long does a yoga mat last?
How do you know when it’s time to change your yoga mat?
How does a yoga mat break down? Does it get thin, thin, wear out, lose shape, or cushion?
Is there a recycling facility for this material in your area?
Will a company take back its brand of yoga mat?
Can you figure out how to use your yoga mat when it starts to break, fall off, and fall apart?
How long does it take for a yoga mat to degrade?
Do yoga mats release toxic chemicals as they degrade?
Where can you find the yoga mat manufacturer?
Confused as to how to find a yoga mat manufacturer, first, you can search through Google (the world’s largest search engine). You can try searching “China yoga mat manufacturer” or “Yoga mat factory or supplier” to find the right yoga mat manufacturer.
Through the Yellow Pages or Alibaba search keywords, you can set the country, language, industry and other conditions to find your ideal yoga mat supplier.
Which kinds of factors should be taken into consideration while choosing a reliable yoga mat manufacturer?
A background check of yoga mats manufacturers
Do a background check and use Google or their website to initially determine if it is a real factory and not a middleman, or if there is an Alibaba store.
Further communication to determine whether it is a reliable yoga mats supplier
One of the criteria for determining whether a company is a reliable yoga mat manufacturer is whether they have participated in major international or industry trade shows. Many exhibitions have been unable to proceed smoothly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another way is to see if they have a factory or workshop that produces photos or videos of yoga mats being processed, or online video conferencing is also a good idea. During online communication, we can see whether they have relevant industry or quality inspection certificates, whether they support factory inspection and so on.
Also, see if they know about yoga mats, such as the comparison of different environmentally friendly materials, whether there are environmentally friendly yoga mats, how to clean yoga mats, whether there are the latest products on the market and so on.
Does the factory have R&D and customization capability?
Another criterion by which good yoga mat manufacturers are judged is their ability to design and customize a yoga mat. Of course, from the design to the material selection of the eco-friendly yoga mat, the use of a variety of yoga mat printing methods for production, processing and proofing, and timely delivery of these processes is essential.
However, if one wants to stand out from the cookie-cutter yoga mat, it is important to design and develop custom features to enter new markets.
Order tracking service
Check whether they support sample adjustment after customized products and whether they have overall product quality inspection after making samples and mass production.
Shipment and delivery time
In addition, you also need to see their freight service advantages, whether they support customs clearance, make contracts, door-to-door services and deliver the goods on time.
After-sales service
There is no doubt that close after-sales service is also essential for a reliable yoga mat manufacturer. Morgiana has a professional, sincere after-sales customer service team, can timely and effectively answer customer questions, and strive to ensure that every customer can enjoy the experience of shopping at home.
The above factors are some of the factors that should be considered when choosing a reliable yoga mat manufacturer. Morgiana has more than 10 years of experience in the production and processing of yoga mats for customers in many countries around the world.
High-quality low-price products, one-stop service, is absolutely your high-quality yoga mat manufacturer the best choice. Of course, if you have any good suggestions for choosing a high-quality yoga mat manufacturer, please leave a message.
