Give Your Old Yoga Mats a Second Life! 21 Insanely Clever DIY Ideas You Need to Try!

Many of the old yoga mats were made from PVC which is not biodegradable.

This means it won’t break down and will sit in landfill forever, so we need another solution.

PVC mats were the only real option at one stage, so we many of us went bought a PVC mat, including me.

It’s wonderful that as time goes on we get more and more aware of the impact of using materials like this.

So, when the time comes that your mat is old and ready to get rid of that you’re left scratching your head wondering what you can do.

Many of us who practice yoga are conscious of recycling our things for the environment and not just throwing them away without thought.

I recently bought a new yoga mat and was wondering if I just keep my old mat as a back up or get rid of it.

The old one’s pretty flat in spots and so I thought I’d like to find a cool way to recycle or reuse it in some way, here’s what I found.

How Can We Recycle or Reuse Our Old Yoga Mats?

Here is a list of our top 21 ideas for reusing and recycling your old yoga mat:

1. Look for ways to reuse it via Freecycle.org – they’re all about preventing our things from going into landfill by reusing it.
2. Check out Terracycle.com – Sporting Goods Zero Waste Boxes. For a cost, you buy a box and can put lots of sporting items in for Terracycle to recycle for you.
3. If you tried yoga for a while and then gave it up (so you’re mat’s in reasonable condition) – you could donate your yoga mat to a friend, shelter or your local community yoga class.
4. Use it on your car seat when transporting your dog to the vets or anywhere else. It’s nice and soft and also protects the material on your car seat.
5. Use it in your kitchen cupboards or pantry as a shelf liner. It’ll help keep your special crockery from getting chipped or scratched and also protects your heavy pans from making marks on your cupboards.
6. If your mat’s old but in ok condition you could use it to do yoga outside without worrying that you’re destroying your good yoga mat.
7. If you go to the bush you can use your mat when you sit on a rock or the ground, instead of a picnic rug. Its will give you the extra bit of padding.
8. If you go to the beach, a yoga mat is so functional. You can use it to lay on when you get out of the water and it’s waterproof.
9. If you’re a bit of a gardener, you can use your old yoga mat (cut in thirds) as padding to kneel on when you’re on the ground.
10. I often transport pot plants in the trunk of my car, my old yoga mat works a treat at keeping the plants from falling and protecting the material.
11. If you have a pet who is getting older, they could lay on the yoga mat instead of the ground for a bit more comfort.
12. Donate your mat to an animal shelter, you know how they generally lay on the concrete floors, this would make their nights much more comfy.
13. If you’re moving house, you can use your mat as padding in the boxes to protect your precious items from damage.
14. If you drive a ute and often get roped into moving furniture for friends, your mat would be great to have to protect furniture from scratches on the trip.
15. Most mats are either black or bright colours, you could leave it near your front door so visitors have somewhere to leave their shoes.
16. When you go to watch sports games at the stadium take your yoga mat (cut smaller) as seat padding.
17. If you have kids, cut your mat into 3 and use them as inside door mats. They are bright coloured and so easy to shake off the sand or wipe clean.
18. Use your mat under the corners of your furniture to protect your floor and stop anything from slipping. Just cut it into small squares and away you go.
19. Your mat could be used on the floor near your kitchen sink so that when you’re standing for a long time cooking or doing dishes you have more padding under your feet.
20. Make your own non-slip, padded coat hangers. Cut your mat into strips, then wrap it around your wire or plastic coat hangers. This should prevent your clothes getting hanger marks on them.
21. If you get plantar fasciitis, place your yoga mat next to your bed so your first few steps each morning have a soft landing. Do some stretches and away you go!

Jade Yoga has 50 more innovative ideas on how to use your old yoga mat. Just scroll down to ‘What Can I Do With My Old Yoga Mat’.

FAQ’s

What is TerraCycle? 

Terracycle is a US based company that recycles hard to recycle items such as yoga mats. Once they recycle the mats they sell the material on to manufacturing companies to produce another product and finish the recycling journey.

Can yoga mats be recycled? 

Because yoga mats are often made from PVC they often wont be accepted at your local recycle centres- call and ask. We suggest Terracycle as they specialize in difficult to recycle items and know exactly how to deal with yoga mats.

Are there any specific recycling rules for yoga mats?

Check what your mat is made from – PVC is what many yoga mats are made from and this is not biodegradable. Because of this, many recycling plants don’t accept them. Some do though, so just check if they state ‘yoga mats’ on their list of accepted items.

Can I donate a heavily used yoga mat?

Yoga mats that have light signs of wear and tear are fine to donate. If you mat has rips, tears or the material is disintegrating you can’t donate that, it will need to be recycled instead.

Should I clean my mat before donating it?

Yes, no matter where you’re donating you should give it a clean before donating it. It’s really simple and all you need to to is give it a wipe over with some water and vinegar just to remove any bacteria or marks.

Can I recycle other yoga accessories, such as blocks and straps?

This really depends on what these items are made from. Some blocks are made from foam and that’s generally find to recycle, but others aren’t. If you’re not sure contact the manufacturer and check what it’s made from and they often give advice on disposing of items safely too. Otherwise give your recycle centre a call and ask them.

Conclusion

I’m really happy we talked about this, sometimes it feels like yoga’s dirty little secret that mats have been made from PVC.

I love the way that we now have come up with so many creative solutions for reusing and recycling our old mats.

I don’t know about you but I just feel a bit better knowing how to manage getting rid of my old mat, without worrying it’s harming the environment in some way.

This way, if we all do our bit the yoga community supports the planet and might even get a new way to use our mats too.