At ZONE we are all about reducing waste and living sustainably. This includes finding new uses for things, to prevent them ending up in landfill.

We want you to love and enjoy your new ZONE cork yoga mat, but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your old mat! Here are some ways you can repurpose yoga mats to give them a new life.

 1. Yoga mats make great knee pads in the garden or for painters and tilers!

This is a great idea for green thumbs! You can fold the mat over for extra knee padding or cut it into the right size and sew it up to hold in place. These are also good for the handy man (or woman) who works in construction or always has a DIY projects on the go. Even if gardening isn’t your thing, knee pads are also useful in yoga, for extra support during kneeling poses, so you can use them for practice too.

2. Under furniture to protect flooring, under rugs or door mats so that they don't slip.

You never know when you’ll need extra non slip materials and instead of buying plastic products from the store you can repurpose an old yoga mat. This idea also works under pets bedding and in the back of the car as a slip proof and water proof liner.

3. Mouse pads and Coasters

A fun way to reuse your yoga mat is to make coasters and mousepads to protect your tables at home. You can use stencils or freehand some fun shapes. Get creative and cut design that suit the style of your home.

4. Re-gift to schools, retirement homes or community centres

My first Yoga teacher training was in Bali and after the course a lot of students were travelling and didn’t need to carry their mats so they were donated to the school and the local village to use and to share the joy of Yoga to everyone. I loved this concept, it made me feel lighter to leave and to know that my mat would continue to be loved and used. There are so many people who could use your yoga mat, even new teachers who are just starting group classes might like to have spares. Ask around and you never know who you could help

5. Cut them into bath mats or pet beds

Using them under bath mats or as bath mats on their own not only adds character and extra love to your bathroom, but they are non slip and if it's a cork yoga mat, it's also absorbent! They also work as welcome mats at your front or back door to dust off your feet or shoes. This is very useful, especially as I have a puppy who likes to race in the house with muddy paws – I used an old yoga mat that catches (most) of the dirt before she brings it inside! And if you have pets too, old mats also make great mats for outside or taking on picnics or travels in the back of the car for your four-legged friends. 

Using your old yoga mats in these ways not only brings new life into something but it can also create a sense of community. You might gift someone a set of nice yoga mat coasters or donate your old mats to a community centre and allow to cycle of giving and repurposing to not only protect the environment but also bring more joy into your life in unexpected ways.

If your yoga mat is looking a little tired and you are ready to shift to a more sustainable option, check out our eco friendly cork yoga mats.