9 First Steps To Creating an Eco Friendly Yoga Studio
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
Have you been wondering how to transform your studio into a eco friendly yoga studio? This post will give you all the best practical tips for making that happen from finding amazing eco friendly yoga mats and props to encouraging your students to make more earth conscious choices as well.
I will admit, some of these suggestions will honestly create more work for you and your team. That is the reality of not relying on disposable items. But! Studio helpers (also known as work trade programs) are a great way to make yoga accessible and to keep up with the extra demands an eco friendly yoga studio.
Can’t wait to share these tips with you and if you think of my others please share them below! Feel free to use these tips for other kinds of fitness studios as well!
What is work trade at a yoga studio?
In exchange for a free membership (or discounted membership), yoga students help to take care of the studio mostly by cleaning, marketing/social media and/or front desk responsibilities.
Instead of a yoga teacher handling these tasks, a volunteer will. This can be helpful as you transition to a more eco-friendly yoga studio because sometimes eco-friendly alternatives can take more time to upkeep. More on that later.
How to Have an Eco Friendly Yoga Studio?
Focus on these main areas for having an eco friendly yoga studio: Eco friendly cleaning supplies, eco friendly yoga mats/props and creating a community of eco conscious yoga students and team members through sustainability education.
Try your best to include sustainable practices but don’t let it overwhelm you. Green yoga studios don’t have to be perfect to make an environmental impact and inspire others!
This post is all about creating the best eco-friendly yoga studio to lower your carbon footprint.
Top Tips For Creating an Eco Friendly Yoga Studio
1. Eco friendly-yoga mat and prop cleaner
Instead of offering students disposable wipes to sanitize their mats and props after class, consider providing eco friendly cleaning options.
The most sustainable mat cleaner would be having a basket of cloths that can be washed and reused and a spray bottle with castile soap and water. I suggest choosing the scent-free option that way you don’t have to worry about anyone having an allergic reaction.
This DIY mat spray isn’t the fanciest option but it will get the job done and is cost-effective since castile soap can be diluted.
Dr. Bronners is the only castile soap I recommend because they treat their workers fairly and their soap has been consistently amazing throughout the years!
There are also other DIY mat spray ideas on pinterest that use essential oils like tea tree if you do want a cleaner with more scent.
2. Encourage the use of reusable water bottles and have a filtered water drink station
Many yoga studio owners want their studio to feel like a judgement free zone (or at least they should!). So be mindful of how you set this rule for the studio, you don’t want people to feel bad about bringing plastic bottles but just encouraged to use reusable.
Having a drink station with cold filtered water is a great way to encourage people to use a reusable water bottle. Even having a few cups nearby for students to borrow is a more sustainable swap than a fridge full of plastic water bottles. Although recycling is better than the landfill, reusing cups is the best option overall.
3. Encourage students to bike, walk, or carpool to class to cut down on emissions
Out of all the yoga studios I have been to, one similarity holds true, the parking lot is always packed. From tight studio schedules to surrounding businesses also needing parking spaces, it makes more and more sense to encourage students to find other modes of transportation to class!
You could even have a motivating campaign of “for 30 days you walk or bike to the studio you get a free class at the studio or a discount on class packages”.
Again, we don’t want students to feel judged but encouraged and excited to help make the yoga studio more earth-friendly.
4. If you have a store in your yoga studio, prioritize eco friendly yoga clothes and locally made items
Many yoga studios have a small store to sell yoga mats, props, or yoga clothes.
There are many incredible brands that offer sustainably made yoga products.
We have a whole post on the best sustainable yoga products that you can check out here!
{RECOMMENDED POST: Your Go To Guide for Sustainable Yoga Clothes}
5. Decorate the yoga studio with houseplants
Plants are one of the best decor items for your yoga studio because they decompose!
Instead of having a cluttered space filled with knickknacks, consider keeping the decor minimal and adding in lots of green that can be composted at then end of its life rather than sent to the landfill.
Here are a few low-maintenance house plants you can decorate your yoga studio with:
- Kentia palm
- Aloe
- Peace lilly
- Snake plant
- Cactus plant
- Succulents
- Herbs students can take home <3
All of these plants are pretty popular and can be found in most places. Consider going to a local plant nursery that sells plants native to your area!
6. Invest in high quality yoga products do you don’t send stuff to the landfill and rebuy constantly
Choosing yoga props for your studio can be the most exciting part. Be sure to choose the highest quality yoga props you can find not just for your student’s experience but also for the health of the earth.
If you buy a bunch of cheap plastic-filled yoga mats it is pretty much guaranteed that after about 6 months of daily use from a full day of yoga students, they will begin to peel apart.
Instead, choose yoga mats that are high quality and can withstand constant use.
Here are some yoga mat materials that are more eco friendly:
- Sustainably sourced cork or natural rubber
- Recycled or made from post consumer material
- Rug yoga mats made from organic cotton
- Cushy floor instead of individual mats
- Outdoor studios (towels on grass or sand)
- organic cotton yoga blankets if you don’t want to use yoga mats
- Just try your best to skip on plastic materials
7. Dispose of yoga mats properly and consider end of life for products in the yoga studio
This tip may depend on if you are starting a yoga studio from scratch or if you are transforming your current yoga studio to a more environmentally friendly one. Either way, no matter how high quality of a yoga mat you purchase it will eventually start to break down. Especially with daily use by many students and the room temperature of your classes.
If the yoga mats are still in good condition but you don’t need them any more (ex. you need to change your studios branding colors) then dropping off your gently used yoga mats at a thrift store is a great way for them to continue to get some use.
If the mats are stained with just a few holes, consider calling around to different animal shelters. Some shelters will accept yoga mats to use as beds for pets.
Repurposing old yoga mats is just one example of considering the end of life for the materials in your yoga studio. Being mindful of this and considering ways to keep things from going to the landfill is a great way to minimize your studios environmental impact.
8. Support local zero waste stores by buying studio cleaning supplies from them
Zero waste stores are popping up everywhere. If your studio has the budget for it, try to support your local zero waste shop by buying products your studio may need from them.
Supporting local businesses like your own can create a strong web within your community of people working together to combat climate change in their own individual ways.
(random tip: if you are hosting events consider having local businesses cater those as well!)
If you don’t have access to a local zero waste shop here are some nontoxic cleaning options for your yoga studio:
- Dropps laundry detergent
- Dr Bronners castille soap (can be mixed with water and put in a spray bottle to make an all purpose cleaner)
- Blueland toilet cleaner
*vinegar is great to clean studio mirrors as well! I don’t have a brand recommendation for now though.
9. Choose sustainable alternatives for your yoga studio design
If you are building a yoga studio from the ground up rather than moving into an old studio then it is the perfect opportunity to look into:
- Solar panels
- Eco friendly flooring
- Using natural light when possible or energy-efficient lighting
- Secondhand furniture for front desk/shelves, lobby seating
- Electric charging stations for cars
- Thrifted, upcycled, second hand or DIY yoga studio decor
- Sustainably sourced bamboo flooring
- Bidets for toilets or compost toilet (if it’s a rural studio)
- Minimize or eliminate single-use plastic: plastic bags from yoga store, plastic water bottles, plastic yoga accessories sold in store etc.
{RECOMMENDED POST: 6 Best Sustainable Yoga Brands For Ethically Made Yoga Clothes and Props For Every Budget}
9. Partner with a local non profit for monthly volunteer events
Is there a local sustainability non profit in your community that your studio could establish a monthly volunteer day to volunteer at?
Yoga is not just a practice that we commit to for an hour a day on our yoga mat. Yoga is a lifestyle, philosophy and ancient tradition that teaches us how to be many things but most important of all a kind and generous person to others off of our mat as well. Being kind includes taking care of the habitat that we all share and call home.
What changes have you made to your yoga studio to make it more environmentally friendly? Let us know in the comments below! I would love to learn from you as well.
Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you would like sustainability and wellness tips sent directly to your inbox!
Stay well,
Maggie
This post was all about top tips for your eco friendly yoga studio to reduce your ecological footprint.
Other posts you may like:
12 Practical Tips For a Consistent Yoga Practice
5 Practical Tips For Finding Affordable Yoga Classes
5 Comfy Yoga Outfits to Try If You are Bored of Your Usual Yoga Leggings
If you would like to save this post for later-pin it!
