- Royal British Legion unveils its new plastic-free poppy made from 100% paper and easily recycled
- Experts reveal new poppy made from 50% coffee cup waste will cut carbon emissions by 40%
- The revamped poppy is part of the armed forces charity’s commitment to sustainability and reducing its impact on the environment
The iconic poppy used for Remembrance has been given a make-over and will now be completely plastic-free and easily recycled, the Royal British Legion has revealed.
The new poppy, which has been revamped for the first time in 28 years and will be available for this year’s Poppy Appeal from October, will be made completely from paper, will no longer have a single-use plastic stem or centre, and can be recycled through ordinary household recycling collections.
The Royal British Legion has been developing the plastic-free poppy for the last three years, in collaboration with expert partners, in efforts to reduce its use of single-use plastic and be economical, sustainable, and less impactful to the environment.
The charity, which supports tens of thousands of armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families every year on issues including homelessness, financial support and mental health, hopes it will encourage more people than ever to support the Poppy Appeal, held every year in October and November, during the period of Remembrance.
The innovative new poppy design 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, which has been produced from a blend of renewable fibres from responsible sources, 50 per cent of which has been recovered from the waste used in the production of coffee cups.
The charity worked with scientists at University College London to assess the environmental impact of the new poppy and ensure its sustainability. The findings revealed that the new poppy will reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent.
The plastic-free poppy, which was created in collaboration with designers Matter and with bespoke paper supplier James Cropper, will be available alongside remaining stocks of the current poppy to reduce any waste of poppies already produced. This new poppy sees the biggest change to its design since 1995.
Andy Taylor-Whyte, Poppy Appeal Director at the Royal British Legion said:
“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.
“We’d like to encourage everyone to get a poppy this year when they become available. The money raised will allow us to provide expert advice and guidance to support the Armed Forces community across a wide range of issues including mobility, homelessness, life challenges such as family breakdowns, and mental health.”
Professor Paola Lettieri (FREng), from University College London’s Department of Chemical Engineering who conducted a Life Cycle Assessment on the new poppy to understand the environmental impacts of the change in materials, said:
“We appreciate the significance of the poppy and were delighted to be invited to assess the plastic-free poppy’s environmental impact and to suggest how it could be made more sustainable.
“We looked at its carbon footprint and factors like how much water and resources go into making it, in what’s called a Life Cycle Assessment.
“By replacing the single-use plastic with a paper-based design, and increasing the amount of recycled paper used, UCL found that the new poppy design has a 40% smaller carbon footprint and a similar reduction in its overall impact on the environment.”
The new poppy will be available to the public alongside remaining stocks of the current poppy from Thursday 26 October until Remembrance Sunday on 12 November 2023. People can find out more about the plastic-free poppy at rbl.org.uk/plasticfreepoppy
The poppies already in circulation that contain single-use plastic can be widely recycled at Sainsbury’s stores.
Each year, the Royal British Legion asks the nation to support its Poppy Appeal through acts of Remembrance. This may include wearing a poppy, donating to the Poppy Appeal, or taking part in Remembrance events.
