Yoga mats are the most important part of a yogi's setup, so if you're an environmentally conscious yogi, I'm sure you've heard of the eco-friendly yoga mat. We can't get away from using yoga mats, we all need 1, and if you're a yoga teacher you'll need way more.
We sell eco-friendly yoga mats that are high quality so you can feel assured that you're not harming the planet when you're focussing on improving yourself. Our eco-friendly yoga mats are not perfect but they're a great option.
It's not only about the material it's about the quality of that material as well. If your yoga mat falls apart quickly after purchase then you're going to have to buy another, and another and... you see where I'm going with this.
What are they made from?
Our yoga mats are made from TPE, and if you're unfamiliar with what TPE don't worry as it's not something that you hear about too often. TPE is short for "Thermoplastic elastomer" which is made from rubber and plastic materials.
I know what you're thinking, isn't plastic bad? Yes, but as of now it's unrealistic that we get rid of all plastic and there are many different types of plastics. Not all plastics are the same and not all plastics are to be feared. Some are actually natural.
TPE isn't biodegradable, so once it's thrown away it won't return to the Earth as it's not from there, it's a manufactured material. This means it's not sustainable either. It keeps sounding worse and worse but it can be recycled.
TPE is recycled by melted down so it can be used for other things. It's better to reuse than recycle but it's better to recycle than throw away.
What to do once you're done with the yoga mat
Once you're finished with the yoga mat and want to get rid of it, it's important to think about exactly how you're going to go about that. As I've mentioned before TPE can't be thrown away as it's not biodegradable, so if you were to do that then it would be sat in a landfill for 20 years hanging out.
So it's best to pass on the yoga mat to someone else so it can be reused. Or recycle it so it can be melted down and recreated into something else--maybe another yoga mat.
Part of being sustainable is our own individual actions. It's not good to buy eco-friendly, sustainable or biodegradable things if we're not going to dispose of them properly once we're done. We need to be careful in our actions as that's what being sustainable is all about.
Are there any other types of yoga mats?
Yes, there are other types of eco-friendly yoga mats out there that are made out of different materials if you don't want one made out of TPE, and we're open to selling them if you want to get in touch and let us know.
An example of another material that eco-friendly yoga mats are made out of is cork. Cork is one of the most renewable resources in the world and it comes from oak trees in places like the Mediterranean, Spain, and Portugal as it requires a lot of sun to grow. Unfortunately, the UK doesn't have this sun resource that other countries have.
You can also get yoga mats made out of things like natural rubber and eco-polyurethane. Each material has its pros and cons when it comes to sustainability and use. Just because something is more sustainable, doesn't mean it's going to last.
How will we improve our yoga mats in future?
We may look into selling yoga mats out of alternative materials due to their sustainability and the fact they're natural. TPE isn't a bad alternative to traditional plastic, in fact, it's quite good, but it's still unnatural. There are benefits to TPE like its durability, easiness to make, resistance and it can be sterilised effortlessly.
We may continue to sell the TPE yoga mats whilst offering the other materials as an alternative. Whilst TPE is a plastic, it is non-toxic and it can be recycled. It also doesn't require a lot of energy to manufacture and in some cases, you can use sustainable materials as a filler.
If you'd like to learn more about TPE click the link below:
https://www.kentelastomer.com/advantages-of-using-thermoplastic-elastomer-as-an-alternative/