At Recycled Mats we stock a range of deluxe, environmentally responsible floor coverings for indoor and outdoor use. Our motto is "Changing the world, one rug at a time" which is why we use recycled materials in the overwhelming majority of our product range & always work with authentic Indigenous artists from various nations to produce the cultural ranges that we create.
We estimate that we repurpose around 1.5-2 million plastic bags equivalent a year in the production of our plastic mats!
To keep a breast for our current figure of kilograms saved from landfill visit out the home page, as our counter click overs each night and counts up all materials we have repurposed from landfill. Our other mat designs are created from old tyres, PET drink bottles and discarded fabric offcuts from clothing factories and furniture makers. Every ‘scrap’ we can save and reuse means less waste going to landfill.
The other great thing about using recycled plastics is that it makes our mats easy to clean. You can put away all the abrasive, toxic chemical cleaning products you’d normally need for a playmat or camping rug! Click here for more information about cleaning and caring for your recycled mats.
Recycled plastic floor mats
Our soft, comfy and colourful range of recycled plastic floor mats are made from recycled Polypropylene. This is a plastic polymer found in medicine bottles, tin foil, shopping bags, drink bottles, carpet fibres and many other household and industrial products. It is very slow to degrade in landfill but can be melted down for recycling into other products.
To create these stylish indoor/outdoor floor mats, plastics are melted down to a thick syrupy consistency which is then put into large vats. Colours are mixed into the ‘syrup’, which is then forced through a small pipe (like a piping bag for icing) to form a thick, round weaving material. This is then quickly cooled down so that it will harden and form a strong plastic thread.
This thread is woven onto spools which can be put onto a loom. Our mats are woven together using an electric loom for fast, consistent production. Once the panels have been woven they are trimmed and the ends are stitched with black end tape. For larger mats, panels may be stitched to each other before finishing. A large floor mat takes around 15 minutes to weave once the Polypropylene content is placed on the loom.
Recycled rubber doormats
The recycled material used in our rubber doormats predominately comes from car tryes which do not biodegrade and are a major cause of landfill concern around the world.
Here, we have them screen printed locally with our unique, custom designs using eco-friendly dyes, giving another life to what would otherwise end in landfill after 1 use.
Recycled fabric textile rugs
Our impressive range of textile rugs includes gorgeous Indian cotton chindi rugs and runners, jute floor mats and chic floor coverings made from wool. These exotic fabric rugs make use of discarded materials from clothing and furniture factories across India.
The process is amazing to watch! You can read more about our visit to a chindi rug manufacturer on our blog here. Fabric pieces are woven into long ropes – or ‘chindi’ – then twisted and sewn by hand into our beautiful floor rugs. The great thing about this process is that the ropes can be made by anyone, anywhere, providing flexible, work-at-home opportunities for families.
If you browse our woolen rugs, you’ll see they’re hand-tufted. Jute (or string) rugs are also created by hand then carefully burned to tidy up stray threads. Our expert manufacturers use local techniques and expertise passed down through families to create these charming treasures out of other people’s discarded waste.
Bamboo summer picnic tables
Even our must-have summer picnic tables are environmentally responsible! The bamboo wood used in these tables gives them character and contributes to an eco-friendly furniture production industry. Bamboo grows fast with low water needs and importantly bamboo absorbs carbon and releases over 30% more oxygen into the atmosphere compared to a like-minded mass of trees
Polyester cushion covers
Our fabulous cushion covers are made from recycled polyester. They're easy to care for, machine washable and made in Australia to match the designs of some of our cultural rugs. We migrated our cushions over 2021 to go from using virgin polyester to recycled polyester
Packaging
We endeavour to minimise the amount of office and packaging waste wherever possible. Not only do we opt for courier bags made from recycled content that are biodegradble but we also supply carry bags for most of our mats that are also manufactured from recycled plastic. Supplying beautiful products doesn’t have to cost the Earth!
Recycled Mats is also currently in the setup phase of adding a range of machines that will enable us to accept old mats back and make recycled plastic out of strapping that we will then be able to repurpose into other new products. Watch this space as there's lots more to come on this! Read more here
If you have any further questions about the ways in which we commission designs, work with recycled materials and produce our mats, cushions and tables – contact us today.
