Many yoga mats on the market today are labelled as being eco-friendly. Some of these mats are made using the following materials:
PER (Polymer Environmental Resin) – this is a substance that starts out as PVC but has plasticisers and stabilisers added to it. It is quite hard to find information on PER, but our take is that it might be less harmful than PVC is, but is possibly still toxic. It also makes no claims to be biodegradable. We think we can do better.
TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) – this substance is a mixture of rubber and plastic. The term thermoplastic elastomer is rather vague and could mean many things, but the bottom line is that TPE is a blend of synthetic materials that are not disclosed, not studied, and not proven safe.
EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) – made from non-renewable petrochemicals. EVA is generally considered safe but it takes hundreds of years to decompose in landfill, so for that reason we don’t like it.
Micro-fibre topped yoga mats – microfibre is a petroleum-based product. Some of these mats are touted as being machine washable. The problem with washing microfibre is that it is contributing to the micro plastic problem in our oceans. Micro-fibre is not biodegradable and many of these mats are coloured with toxic dyes.
Anjali Mats are made of natural plant materials that are non toxic and completely biodegradable. They are free of dyes and glues, friendly to the earth and to your body.