Yoga mats are durable items that do not require much replacement. But when it finally wears out, you might wonder whether it is possible to recycle the mats or not? Well! The options are very few when you want to replace the mats.
While two companies got ways to replace yoga mats with new mats or shoes, you must look for ways to reuse them if you cannot get them replaced. Fortunately, your options are plentiful.
Now the question comes from what yoga mats are made of?
Mats are mainly made from polyvinyl chloride, which is also called PVC. It is a good choice because of the non-stick qualities, but it is also full of toxic chemicals like phthalates, cadmium, and lead.
Mats made from PVC are not recyclable, and it is hard to dispose of. Now you must be wondering, what can you do with it? When there are so many reasons you do not want your old mat, the issue now is what to do with it.
Let us see what we can do with the yoga mats if it is of no use anymore for doing yoga:
Here are few creative ways are given below to reuse your mat.
- Use it as your kneepads: It is known to everyone that people suffer from knee pain when the surface is very hard, and a less smooth surface is good for knees because the knees never sink and get hyper-extended. As the mats are packed with dense rubber, the cushioning is thick and equally great for your knees as it needs some extra cushion.
- Please donate to the animal shelters: The owners at the animal shelters will become happy when they receive old mats from you. Most often, these mats are utilized for making comfortable sleeping accessories for puppies, adult dogs as well as cats.
- Donate your unused yoga mats to any local retirement community: You have an option to donate the yoga mat to any elderly home. Most of the communities run yoga classes and can use those mats. A yoga school in Rishikesh mostly recommends donating mats when not in use.
- Give mats to someone who is new to yoga: More and more people are practicing yoga every day. When they start, they buy a PVC mat and add it to the waste, and sometimes they do not continue yoga for a long time. So, your mat can be useful for them.
- Use it as shelf liners: Your yoga mat can be a perfect material to use as a shelf liner. You can give it a trial, and you can know its benefit.
- Camping: Old mats can be used when you go camping, hiking, or fishing. Friends and families spending time outdoors will become happy to take the old mats off from your hand. While camping, your yoga mat is just perfect as a mat when there are muds present in front of your tent or under your sleeping bag.
- As a heat blocker in your car: During the hot summer months, you can use your mats over your car's dashboard to decrease the heat on the wheel.
- As a mousepad or insoles: You can cut your mat into small pieces and use it as your mouse pad. It works wonders!
- Artists might take them: You can donate your old mats to those artists who are involved in making sculptures. They can acts as a cushion for your knees while the artists are working. Or else they can also create an invention or any art piece out of them.
- Child safety flooring or for table sharp edges: You can add some safety features to your child's playroom by laying down your mats on the floor or around the area. Moreover, you can use it to protect young children from the table's sharp edge by covering them with mats.
- For lining the pet carriers and for picnics: You can use the old yoga mats to line your pet carriers for the pups. Furthermore, you can bring your old mats for sitting outdoors like beach, grass or on picnics.
- Use it as your doormat: You can use your old mats as doormats. They are perfect for your guests for keeping their shoes and are also very easy to clean. You can clean them by simply wiping them, and you get rid of all the dirt. If your mat is of no use after your 300 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh , then you can reuse it as a doormat.
- Because of the non-slip properties of the mats, you can use those mats for many other things. You can put them under your furniture or even rugs to save them from slipping. You can even keep them outside your bathtub when you have a slick floor. You can cut the mat into bases and utilize them as a children's baseball game.
So, if you have given a try to yoga and decided to quit, then you should know that your mat has still some life in it. You can reach the local yoga community to see if they are accepting any mat donations. In some cases, they will take them and give them to other people who cannot afford them on their own.
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