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\\u201cWe wanted to offer a product that makes the user say, \\u2018I can\\u2019t believe this isn\\u2019t plastic!\\u2019\\u201d

Tim Busby (9:49-10:01)

When John Oakley and Tim Busby came together to create Matter\\u2122, they were dead set on creating a product that can truly be a one-to-one alternative to single use plastics. Matter\\u2122 products are biodegradable, free from heavy metals, FDA approved and making it easy for you to improve your sustainability efforts.

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When you visit NatureStar\\u2019s Matter\\u2122 website, you might be confused when you see \\u201callergen free\\u201d, \\u201cgluten free\\u201d, \\u201cnon-GMO\\u201d. Reading those disclosures are typically only seen on food labels! Instead, the Matter product line includes snack bags, sandwich bags, storage bags, kitchen bags, food wrap, plates, bowls, cutlery, straws and much more. As John Oakley and Tim Busby like to say, the Matter line of products are \\u201cfrom nature, back to nature\\u201d and developed from a polymer that literally breaks down back to nature, unlike plastic.

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\\u201cThings in our life are starting to matter more and more because we have to take care of Mother Earth.\\u201d John Oakley (10:49-10:53)

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Polymer? Back to nature? What does that exactly mean? Most disposable products, like plates, cutlery, cups, plastic bags, and so on, are derived from oil and end up in a landfill where the product won\\u2019t break down for hundreds or thousands of years. In a matter (no pun intended) of months, the Matter\\u2122 products will compost and disappear into soil because they\\u2019re made from all natural, renewable and sustainable fibers. This creates something called biomass, which is like an enhancer for soil and makes a bit of water in the process.\\xa0

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Through composting, microorganisms will consume the material and create biomass, which is like an enhancer for soil and makes a bit of water in the process and goes through photosynthesis. The Matter products give back to nature and can be used over again through this sustainable process, unlike plastics which last hundreds and thousands of years.

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Think plates and knives made from biodegradable plant materials can\\u2019t hold up a good, hearty meal? Think again! Even Lori Taylor herself has tested the Matter\\u2122 plates, serving her family steaks without worrying if the steak knives would cut through the disposable dish. Even if Matter\\u2122 products end up in a traditional landfill or dump, they will still break down in a much shorter time period when they come into contact with microbes since the products are made of starch. Some of the products don\\u2019t even take months to break down, they take a few weeks!\\xa0

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This product is huge for the US who is behind in terms of composting or sustainability efforts to other countries like the UK. Retailers like Target have picked up on the great opportunity Matter\\u2122 products offer consumers and, not to brag, but the company was allotted 20 shelf slots at Target stores from the getgo which is almost unheard of! Even their straws have rave reviews compared to paper ones, which unravel, dissolve, and are either too flexible or not flexible enough.

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\\u201cWe\\u2019ve developed a straw, and it\\u2019s not a plastic straw or a paper straw, it doesn\\u2019t unravel, it doesn\\u2019t dissolve, it\\u2019s flexible\\u2026 we\\u2019ve tried to replicate what people are used to in their everyday lives without causing a problem for Mother Earth.\\u201d John Oakley (18:57-19:15)

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Not only are you giving back to Mother Earth and making our planet long-lasting for our future generations, you\\u2019re also giving back to veterans with every Matter\\u2122 purchase you make. The company is partnered with Folds of Honor, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to spouses and children of disabled and deceased American veterans, and gives a portion of every purchase to the charity.\\xa0

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How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!\\xa0
• Reach out to us - we\\u2019d love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.\\xa0

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