Pvc Yoga Mat Safe
For a cheat sheet of 11 yoga mat materials so you know where a yoga mat you are considering lies on a spectrum of safety click on the purple button.
Pvc yoga mat safe. This is because the chemical used to make pvc vinyl chloride is a known to cause cancer in humans according to the world health organization s international agency for research on cancer iarc. Its naturally antimicrobial so synthetic chemicals are not needed to treat the surface of the yoga mat. Pvc makes a great mat due to its grip durability and price point. Safe materials for yoga mats cork yoga mats.
Most yoga mats are made from pvc polyvinyl chloride and from both an environmental and health standpoint pvc is the most toxic plastic. Pvc itself can be harmful to the environment and its production requires toxic chemicals. Ajna eco organic yoga mat natural jute yoga mats large non slip reversible jute per carrying strap extra long yoga mat 72 inch 5mm all yoga vegan 4 5 out of 5 stars 743 49 99 49. Oprah they are non biodegradable they leach chemicals into the soil and eventually the groundwater.
Made from slip resistent jute and eco pvc this 5 millimeter mat is completely free of nasty phthalates latex and heavy metals. When incinerated or buried in landfills they release dioxin a known carcinogen. To see a list of yoga mats that i believe are safer than pvc tpe or per yoga mats head over here. This eco friendly non toxic yoga mat is a real treat.
Pvc is used to make many products not just yoga mats. Seek a mat that specifically says pvc free or look for mats made with safe materials like natural rubber or jute such as barefoot yoga s original eco yoga mat manduka s eko mat or jade s harmony mat. Dynactive claims their mats are made from sgs tested and approved premium tpe material which is non toxic pvc free phthalates free and free of any harmful chemicals unlike the traditional pvc nbr eva or eco pvc still a pvc yoga mats which all contains carcinogen components. The majority of yoga mats are manufactured in taiwan and made of poly vinyl chloride or pvc.
Thus i do not recommend pvc yoga mats even if they are certified by oeko tex. As awareness of potential pvc dangers grows more companies are manufacturing mats without vinyl. This also means it won t get moldy or smelly even if you sweat a great deal. But unfortunately there is no safe way to create use or destroy these mats.
They cannot be recycled because of the toxic chemicals used to make them. Cork is a natural eco friendly material that is very popular and easy to find. There is no safe way to destroy yoga mats made with pvc.