Poppy goes plastic-free in biggest change for decades
Melanie May | 19 April 2023 | News
The Remembrance poppy has undergone its biggest change in 28 years, and will now be completely plastic-free, the Royal British Legion has revealed.
The new poppy will be available for this year’s Poppy Appeal from October, and is made completely from paper, enabling it to be recycled through ordinary household recycling collections.
The Royal British Legion has been working on a plastic-free poppy for the last three years, in collaboration with expert partners, in a bid to reduce its use of single-use plastic and be economical, sustainable, and less impactful to the environment.
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The charity hopes it will encourage more people to support the Poppy Appeal.
The new poppy design was created in collaboration with designers Matter and with bespoke paper supplier James Cropper. It features a traditional poppy shape, with a black centre embossed with ‘Poppy Appeal’, and a leaf with a crease. It can be fastened with a pin in the stem, worn in a buttonhole, or a stick-on version is available.
It has been created from bespoke red and green paper, produced from a blend of renewable fibres. Upcycled fibre accounts for 50% and is from offcuts from cup production of paper hot and cold cups, and the fresh fibre is wood pulp from FSC certified forestry sources.
The charity worked with scientists at University College London to assess the environmental impact of the new poppy and ensure its sustainability. The findings show that the new poppy will reduce carbon emissions by 40%.
The plastic-free poppy will be available alongside remaining stocks of the current poppy to reduce any waste of poppies already produced.
Andy Taylor-Whyte, Poppy Appeal Director at the Royal British Legion commented:
“We’re so proud to unveil our plastic-free poppy, which is completely recyclable, and hope that this will encourage more people than ever to take part in this year’s Poppy Appeal and show support to our Armed Forces community.
“After years of work and collaboration with our partners designing a new poppy, creating new paper and machinery and road-testing it for durability and colour-fastness, we have been able to eliminate single-use plastic and create a poppy that is an enduring symbol of respect and remembrance as well as being more planet-friendly.”
The poppies already in circulation that contain single-use plastic can be recycled at Sainsbury’s stores.
Other charities’ green steps
The move follows Comic Relief’s announcement earlier this year that its Red Noses will now be made from plant-based materials, following a redesign by Sir Jony Ive, and National Trust’s 2020 move to make its member cards from recyclable paper. Save the Children also encourages people to wear secondhand jumpers for its annual fundraising Christmas Jumper Day.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.