I have spreading the word about this for years!  And testing "greener" yoga mat choices... In my opinion, the new EKO Manduka mat has them all beat.  My first eco-yoga mat had jute embedded in the top and foamy rubber underneath- it shredded rapidly, especially with the yoga I do and teach, which is ashtanga.  I tried a natural woven grass with rubber backing- didn't work for ashtanga but was ok for more "gentle" yoga.  For awhile there was a mat called the "Naked Mat," which was cotton with a rubber backing- got one, didn't like it (I think it is not made anymore)but keep it handy for the classes I teach in case someone needs a mat.  I have also had several Harmony mats- they are ok, have a polyester webbing inside the rubber, but the process making them sounds slightly suspect to me- although the company was great about emailing me answers to my questions about content and production of the mats- and they only lasted about a year each.  Then Manduka came out with the EKO!  These are natural rubber.  I love them- I have two now- one that is thicker but is very heavy and the thinner version for traveling.  Both are great- good traction, easy to wipe down, thick enough for comfort in headstands, etc. even on wood or marble (the studio I go to in India) floors.  My mats are holding up very very well to hard use- at least 2 hours daily, 6 days a week.
I worry about yoga studios using the vinyl mats- often you see the floors covered with those little shreds and pills from these, and we are inhaling these! Yikes!  No thanks!
Karen (environmental educator/environmental health nurse, and grateful ashtangi)

Oh... I forgot to say that I am not crazy about some mats that are called "green" or "eco" but are made from TPE and similar materials- just another version, albeit somewhat healthier, version of plastic and I am against it!

Avoid the landfill!
Here are some yoga mat reuses:
-carpet padding
-machine/stereo vibration/sound padding
-moving pads
-pet bed padding
-furniture leg padding
-headboard padding

carolyn kay
"save what's left"

My garage floor is very slippery when wet.  I find that my old yoga mat makes a good non-skid surface between the door of the garage and the door of my car.  Given it's composition, it will probably outlast my garage.

Fine, if you don;t like them, toss 'em but please don't keep repeating that same stupid and incorrect bullshit the creeps from greenpeace, et. al. have been spreading like manure for nearly 20 years.

I missed an errant apostrophe.  Arghh.  My apologies.  

What about the issue with latex allergies? Those come from constant exposure to rubber products, which I learned after I developed the allergy. Would this affect a studio's insurance or make them or the manufacturers liable if someone becomes ill over time using the mats?

What was the gist of this comment?  That phthalates are not toxic?  That Greenpeace lies to the world about phthalates?  I have yet to see anybody from Greenpeace discuss vinyl or phthalates.  Is Johnny Lucid a yoga student?

Chad

Or folded cotton blankets work very well. I used them for years to do Yoga on, before Yoga was so popular and mats were not available. One of the nice things is they can be washed in your washing machine.

Ya make do with what you have sometimes.

That the best sleeping bags are those with the cotton outside, not the nylon.

Well, unless you put a sheet or cotton blanket, or some other natural fiber blanket over them.

With these posts, I am wondering what the function of the vinyl/sticky mat is...Wai Lana,  (TV  yoga show) uses a neat Hawaii-type quilt. I use a nice older-than-dirt woven blanket. Why not use thick cotton, like those neat soft, smooth but durable, foldable woven "native-American"-kind blankets/rugs?. I have a back-of-the-head query lurking -- what is the stickiness supposed to help? Seems that  to control/gauge our stretch and our balance, that out-reached foot or hand,.... we only should have a "natural"  dimension to our work/relaxation.... but maybe I'm missing something. Never did like those 'creepy' feeling mats, and now I'm learning why.  One thing I wish I could solve is the barefootedness -- I love going barefoot, but winter in Wisconsin, w/ keeping the temp lower at nite, begs for socks-warmed toes when we pop out of bed -- since I like to do yoga in early a.m., I start out with socks, but have to shed them to get the grip and grasp. Maybe I'll try cutting out sections ha. Bikini socks. Ah, spring is here:  who cares?

check with your local animal shelter to see if they can use your old mats as padding for the animals.

Thanks for the link, Kendra!  You are lucky to be part of a studio that would do this, I think.  I don't have my own studio but taught recently at the university's weight room, which had a rubber floor and it was great for yoga (althought the posters up about methycillin-resistent staph infections were definitely a buzz-killer!).  And those who questioned why not just use cotton have a point but it slips and rips too much with more vinyasa type yoga such as ashtanga.  And having done ashtanga on marble floors in India, which get very slick with sweat, you need something to prevent falls.... which is where the rubber or other "sticky" type mats are necessary.  Believe me, I know the "make do with what you have" mindset: right now I practice and teach in the community room(carpeted) of the local Y's thrift store.  Mats also prevent slippage on carpet and wood floors- I don't want any broken tailbones!
However, my opinion is that any yoga, anywhere, anytime, on the mat and off the mat, is good!  And ultimately: It's all yoga....
Namaste, Karen Cairns

A friend of mine e-mailed the Grstmill link regarding the yoga mats and at first I was at a complete loss.  Being a full time yoga teacher and one who considers themself environmentally aware I was so bummed that when it came to environmentally friendly mats I was at a loss.  Then, this past week the Sports Club/LA in Boston where I teach replaced all the yoga mats with lululemon mats.  They are made out of an environmentally green material called TPE (thermal plastic elastoner).  They contain no latex, no PVC, no rubber or toxic chemicals during production.  According to lululemon it breaks down in landfills due to its cellular composition.  I've only used them for a week but it's a sturdy composition with subtle alignment lines which always helps.  Like all new mats they are a little slippery but that will change with a little use.  I like them!

Why, if you don't want these chemicals attacking you, would you want to give them to your pets???