Summary

Suga yoga mats are made from wet suits that are destined for the landfill. Wet suits are typically made from neoprene, a very durable material similar to rubber. It was developed in the 1940s by DuPont, and there have been great applications for it but there’s hardly been any innovation in good ways to recycle the material. Suga started out by rescuing wet suits and repurposing them into yoga mats but since it’s founding, the company also has pioneered some systems around recycling neoprene. The yoga mats can also be recycled back into more yoga backs once the mats have suffered enough wear and tear and the company has a take back scheme for customers to return the yoga mats.

Story

The company was founded by Brian Shields who considers himself a lifelong surfer and yoga practitioner. Shields was disappointed in learning that neoprene, the main materials used in wetsuits did not have a means to be recycled. Shields wanted to create a product using a waste material as a raw material for a new product but also wanted to ensure that it be a closed loop product that would be entirely recyclable at its end of life. After developing the yoga mats, Shields started the company with a Kickstarter campaign and then built up loyalty for the brand.

Pic Credit: SD Voyager (right) and Suga (top)