California based company Yoga Design Lab (YDL) has launched a range of eco-friendly yoga mats into the UK and European markets.

According to YDL, the mats blend functionality and ethical sustainability with a fashion-forward aesthetic.
The yoga mats are made from natural tree rubber and biodegradable microfibres produced from recycled plastic bottles.

To create the microfibres, recycled plastic bottles are sorted, cleaned, sterilised and dried, before being crushed into chips, which are then heated and passed through a spinner to create a polyester yarn. The yarn is then passed through a crimping machine to give it a fluffy, wooly texture before being woven into a mat.
Chad Turner, founder and CEO of Yoga Design Lab, says: “The goal was to create a beautiful, highly-functional product, with the smallest eco footprint possible.”

Turner adds: “Countless yoga mats end up in landfills because they’re made from non-recyclable, hazardous materials. We wanted to help change that.”