Let’s face it, even if your favorite yoga mat is bulletproof and will never ever wear out, there’s still a decent chance that you have a collection of yoga mats laying around the house, most likely never to be used for their intended purpose ever again. Eventually, one day you may decide to tidy up the place and gaze in astonishment at all your mats. First, you’ll wonder where the heck they all came from. And second, you’ll wonder what the heck to do with them since you really don’t need old, worn-out mats filling up the corners of every room in your house, do you?
Well, it certainly looks yogic to have a mat in every corner, but then you think to yourself there must be something practical I could do with all these extra pieces of large, spongy, colorful, plastic rectangles. The simple answer:
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
After a little personal introspection and Internet research, I compiled this list of 43 creative ways to reuse, recycle, and extend your old yoga mats’ non-yoga related usefulness. Sound fun? Get your scissors ready. Off you go:
My Personal Top 10 Reuse/Recycle Options:
- Turn your mat into a bleacher cushion. Great for those hard bleachers when watching sporting events. Here’s how: Step 1) Cut the mat into equal pieces to make one top and bottom (the size of a newspaper laid flat); Step 2) Punch holes about every 2 inches with a paper hole punch all the way around (both top and bottom); Step 3) Take a couple of days worth of newspapers and lay them between the top and bottom (or if you have another old mat to sacrifice, chop it up and use it as the cushioning); Step 4) Use yarn, ribbon, rawhide, etc. to lace the holes and tie off. Oh yeah, pretty sweet, huh? To re-stuff, untie and add new newspaper. Easy to store, lightweight, washable, reusable, and comfortable
- Leave the beach towel home and bring your old yoga mat to the beach instead (caution! may induce spontaneous yoga poses on the beach 🙂
- Save your floors and roll out the old mats for the kids to do messy craft projects on
- Along the same lines as number 1, fold mat in four, place in a pillow cover, and you have a cheap and comfy meditation cushion
- Donate your old mat to a mat recycling program such as Recycle Your Mat, an eco-conscious organization whose goal is to re-purpose or recycle the world’s unwanted yoga mats. Apparently Manduka offers 20% discount on your next mat purchase if you go this route! Jade Yoga also offers a 3R Program where yoga students can drop off their used up and unwanted mats to participating studios who, with Jade’s help will find local resources to reuse or donate the mats. I’m sure there’s more recycling programs like these, so feel free to comment if you know of other programs that deserve a mention
- Enjoy yoga in the wild! Use old mats as a “Guerrilla Yoga” mat alternative (okay, I just mean plain old outside yoga, but Guerrilla Yoga sounds so much more primitive). Most, if not all, “eco” mats are susceptible to damage by the elements and using them for outside practice is not the best idea. Now you don’t have to jack up your good mat doing it
- How could the computer geek inside me resist a nice, thick, cushiony yoga mouse pad for surfing the Internet
- I really hate rattling stereo speakers. Place cut out yoga mat squares under those noisy stereo speakers to reduce vibration rattle
- Do you absolutely love the feel of yoga mat on your feet? Why not cut out yoga mat insoles for all your shoes. Now you’re a true yogi! Oh, wait, no your not unless you’ve tried number 10…
- True yogis don’t wear shoes, right? Why not make a pair of flip-flops out of your yoga mat?!? Click the link and/or watch the video below for everything you need to know. You’re going to need these for going to the beach (see #2 above)
Click through the jump to see the rest of the list…
33 More Creative Reuse/Recycle Solutions
- Place small squares under furniture legs to protect wooden floors (glue on with non-toxic adhesive)
- Cut squares for nonskid pads to cushion hallway carpet runners
- Use for a cushy lining and fabric anchor on baby’s changing table
- Most mats are waterproof and serve well beneath leaky flowerpots
- Double up old mats as sleeping bag pads for camping (you might even end up sneaking in a little yoga in the woods)
- Roll out old mats as floor coverings during painting projects
- Fold up and use as a prop or knee padding with your new mat
- Use mat as extra bedding for pets
- Give your yoga mat a new life as a weed cloth cover
- Cut your pad into smaller pieces, tape them together with duct tape and you’ll have a fabulous knee pad for gardening
- Donate to homeless shelters as sleeping pads
- Protect the leather in the back seat of your car from sharp, scratchy objects by rolling an old mat out on the seat
- Cut to size and line your kitchen shelves with a non-slip surface
- Cut out four squares to use as bases for a neighborhood baseball game
- Clean up your old mat and cut out drawer and shelf liners for your closet
- Use as padding around kid’s playground equipment, cushions slide landings
- If you have lots of old mats, chop them into small pieces and donate to a neighborhood playground for ground cover
- Cut out palm-sized jar grippers
- Sit just about anywhere you want (wet grass, mud puddle, pile of rocks, etc) with a cushy mat padding
- Place underneath children’s car seats
- Cut into small pieces and use as packing material for fragile items
- Use as a door mat when camping to keep your tent clean
- Place inside pet carriers for padding and footing
- Create safe and colorful step treads for stairs. Cut your mat into rectangles slightly smaller than the size of your stairs — glue on for a permanent solution or let the mat’s inherent stickiness hold it in place if you prefer easy removal
- Roll out onto the pavement for comfortable do-it-yourself car repairs
- Cut out circle or square party coasters
- Fit open laundry room space with mat area for muddy shoes
- Going on a long trip? Place on top of car for protection when luggage exceeds interior car space
- Use as insulation: stuff into small spaces around doors, windows, etc.
- Make insulated beverage sleeves
- Shower mat
- Use as a place mat for animal bowls
- Place in trunk of car as a liner to keep upholstery clean and/or prevent things from sliding around
The list could go on! Just remember, the re-purposing uses of a yoga mat are only limited by your needs and imagination.
Feel free to share in the comments any other creative ways you can think of for reusing or recycling old yoga mats. I’d love for this list to be HUGE!
[Inspiration for some of the ideas: lots from Gaiam Life, Bamboo Yogini, wikiHow, Yoga Maendy, RecycleThis, Eco Yogini, my own head]
Thanks for this tip! I’ll look forward to putting my old mats to new uses.
Wow. Does this stuff just come to you, or did you have to work hard to think up 43 ideas?
Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com
This was a fun post to write, but it did take a good deal of time. I scoured the Internet for a lot of the ideas and then tweaked them so that they really made sense to me. I also tried to think up ideas during my morning runs the last couple of days. Of course I haven’t used all the ideas since there are so many possible ways to re-purpose a yoga mat.
So what you’re saying is, you’re still holding out your best idea for a better offer, huh?
Bob W.
I wish I was nearly that smart and creative. How could life get any better than yoga mat insoles? 😉 I may have reached maximum creative capacity with that little nugget.
This morning, my wife told me (via e-mail) that my Black Mat Pro made for a very cushy pair of flip flops 🙂 hahaha!
LOL at you and Bob, thanks for the tips. I was only just looking at my bunch of yoga mats the other day when cleaning the house and thinking what to do with them. I tend to stick to one mat until it wears out and then retire it with the others. Although, my Jade mat is not looking like it’s retiring any time soon. Flip flops hey? 🙂
Great idea for a post! I love it. I will be visiting often.
Namaste : )
Great ideas!! there’s at least a dozen I’m going to try… come spring I’m all over those flip-flops!
Great post! Got me all excited to go out and do some Guerilla Yoga! (the primitive name really does make a difference)
Love the post, so many creative ideas – sent it along via @DonnaKFreeman and posted it on FB page for http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/yogainmyschoolcom/119611714090?ref=ts
thanks for the great tips…i’m actually working on a project right now at nyu stern uncovering the potential need for a fully sustainable and bio-degradable yoga mat….i’d love to get your feedback on the concept as well as your readers. please take and feel free to pass on this survey to help us gather consumer feedback.
http://nyustern.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_bfQJHrkZEMWx4mE&SVID=Prod
thanks!
These are excellent ideas! I may use mine for a pet mat. I also love the bleecher mat idea. Thank you so much for the yoga mat ideas. I’ll let my friends know of your handy blog.
My favorite type of yoga is Bikra. Have you tried it yet? Awesome!
I don’t know why my link didn’t show up. I wanted to show you info on Bikra yoga in case you’ve never done it.
work? http://www.bikramyogaseacliff.com/
Great ideas! On Dec. 14, Living Beyond Breast Cancer will host a free yoga program at the Philadelphia Marriott West. The program will focus on the emotional benefits of yoga & provide a hands-on demonstration. Would you be willing to feature this event in a future blog entry? You can find more info here: http://www.lbbc.org/content/event/yoga-uniting-body-mind-spirit.asp?c=educational&t=participate&sn=networking
It’s also a great way to support women affected by breast cancer!
Hi
You have such a lovely yoga site. I was wondering if you wanted to do a link exchange?
My website is: http://www.lexiyoga.com
Thanks
Lexi
Hello fellow yogis! I absolutely love!!! this posting. Such a great idea for old, worn out, mats. I’ll definitely be passing this along and posting a link on our website.
I’d like to take the opportunity to inform you of a great yoga retreat in Thailand It’s on the island of Phuket and the scenery is amazing. So, if you want to escape the cold and take a holiday in the “Land of Smiles” then check out Yoga Thailand
Once again, keep up the good work!
Hey there,
Great article!! I go through a lot of mats, teaching full time, so this is a helpful way to think about them. I usually donate my old mat to a needy place (more studios are hosting mat-drives for donation purposes), but I have used a few old mats for creative purposes (underneath plants).
I’m linking you to my blog site – will you do the same for me? Thanks!
Also, please check out my online yoga program, The Yoga Odyssey, at http://www.fivepointsyoga.com/odyssey/ Let me know if you want to participate or blog about it.
Be well,
Barrett
Great article! I wrote about you on my yoga blog at http://yoga.cirkla.com
I recycle old PVC yoga mats into a fun new beer mat. Anyone looking to recycle one around Vancouver Canada can contact me at Lololids.com and if people want to know how to make one they can check out my video on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuLmTxpp2Po
A great article. As a Cork Yoga Mat company Your NEXXT Inc.we are doing our part to reduce the plastic pollution and to promote a cleaner, greener way of living. We will be sure to share on our website http://www.yournexxt.com all your precious advice.
I clicked to this page from “Christi’s Non-Toxic Lifestyle” and was a little distressed at some of the suggestions for repurposing old mats, especially using them as cushioning for kids play mats and for a babies changing table, without any warning about the potential for chemical exposure. Most yoga mats are full of toxic chemicals that are very harmful especially to babies. https://christysnontoxiclifestyle.com/yoga_mats_update