Over a hundred years since the poppy was first used as a symbol of remembrance the Royal British Legion are giving them a recyclable make-over.
The poppies are a nod to the 1915 poem ‘Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae about the battle-scarred fields on which the flowers grew; they have since become synonymous with Armistice Day, which is marked every year on November 11.
Every year the Royal British Legion which raises funds to provide support for soldiers and veteran soldiers, sells the poppies which until now have had a plastic stem.
The new poppy was designed by the agency Matter who have designed an all paper solution in collaboration with specialist paper manufacturer James Cropper.
The paper is made from the fibres of recycled coffee cups, which were created to be made by an assembly line and without the use of adhesives.
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“Every year since 1978, red and green papers made at our paper mill are transformed into millions of poppies for the annual Poppy Appeal that continues to provide vital support to the Armed Forces”
“Although we are involved each year, we never take for granted what this symbol means for so many families and the country as a whole.”
“Everyone at James Cropper is very proud of our long-standing involvement in the production of the paper poppy, worn the world over as a symbol of respect and remembrance,” said James Cropper CEO Steve Adams.
Royal British Legion executive director of marketing and fundraising Gary Ryan said: “We’re proud to have designed a plastic-free poppy that will enable people to show their support for our Armed Forces community in a more sustainable way”.
“We are thankful to Matter who created the innovative design for the plastic free poppy. The agency has played a fundamental role in reducing the environmental impact of the new poppy, whilst maintaining the iconic poppy design that the public can wear with pride”.
Image credit: Royal British Legion
