NATUURA™ / LUCIDA MAT™ / YARMA™
MPD Holdings, Inc. is a 30+ year creator of scaled and commercialised plant-based natural rubber products for global brands. They use their customised solutions, sustainable and traceable supply chain, and production expertise to develop design-first, performance-tested materials and foams for accessories, footwear, interiors, and transportation. They conduct regular brand audits ensuring social, ethical, legal, and brand standard labour practices. Importantly, they provide USDA BioPreferred Certified products with a high biobased content. In 2023, they created natuura™ — a line of materials and foams developed using their FSC® certified natural rubber from well-managed, renewable, and regenerative forests with over 10,000 hectares of Hevea Brasiliensis trees. The material is carbon positive to environments near the equator – where biodiversity is most abundant. natuura™ is plant-based and recyclable, and can also incorporate a proportion of recycled content as a feedstock, making it part of a circular production process. FSC® certified plantations also ensure the well-being and education of local communities. MPD Holdings, Inc.’s established natural rubber supply chain includes plantations that use regenerative agroforestry practices; natural rubber trees are integrated with bananas, cacao, coffee, and cardamom to support the abundant biodiversity near the equator, sequester carbon, and improve soil health.
Lucida Mat™: replaces animal leather and petrochemical derived materials. Lucida Mat ™ is a blend of recycled material and new natural rubber. It can be any structure using any fabrics, depending on a brand’s requirements.
Yarma™: replaces petrochemical derived foams including EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate), PU (Polyurethane) and SBR (Styrene- Butadiene Rubber). Yarma™ Foam is either made from separated recycled EVA and natural rubber, or from separated recycled EVA (80%) and new EVA (20%).
Lucida™ Mat upper material structures and Yarma™ foams and fabrics are currently in sampling stages with brands for varying shoe applications, as well as for recycling post-industrial or post-consumer shoe waste, separating the shoes first and then recycling them. EVA midsoles are recycled into new Yarma™ 50 foam mid-soles (natural rubber + recycled EVA and fillers). Uppers are recycled into new Lucida™ Mat for new upper materials (natural rubber + recycled pieces). MPD Holdings, Inc. are also in collaboration with the Veshin Factory to produce a variety of shoes to showcase their material solutions across different styles.