Yoga Mat

2 October 2022 News

Next time you’re practicing yoga, take a deep breath and show gratitude to the millions of smallholders who bring rubber into our lives, as most high-end yoga mats are made from recycled natural rubber from Southeast Asia. Natural rubber gives the best grip, is firm when balancing and holding poses, and tends to last longer than other materials. 

Yoga mats are also biodegradable and recyclable, in contrast to plastic and pvc, which may take many decades to break down and are generally made from energy-intensive fossil fuels like oil. However, when the rubber in your yoga mat is sourced sustainably, it’s doing a lot more than just protecting your joints from wear and tear. 

That’s why PEFC supports companies that manufacture rubber products like yoga mats and sports equipment out of recycled rubber to gain chain of custody certification. Recycled rubber is an important part of the sustainability story of rubber, and when it comes from sustainable sources, is a perfect material to compliment the circular economy. Keeping natural rubber within the economy for re-use means that less pressure is exerted on the people who produce it and the forests that surround rubber plantations. That’s how your downward facing dog can save forests!

Visit rubber.pefc.org to find out more about how sustainable natural rubber is helping us reach further and further towards sustainability.