Charlie urges others to wear RBL's new plastic-free poppy

FORMER Royal Marine Charlie Charles, from Plymouth, is one of the first people to wear the new plastic-free poppy being launched by the Royal British Legion today.

- CLARE AINSWORTH

This year’s plastic-free poppy is the first redesign of the iconic symbol of Remembrance in a generation and is the latest in a series of designs since the poppy was first used to raise funds in 1921.

The plastic-free poppy is made from 100% paper and easily recycled in household collections. The innovative new poppy design features the iconic poppy shape, with a black centre embossed with ‘Poppy Appeal’, and a leaf with a crease. It no longer has a plastic stem or centre, and it can be fastened with a pin in the stem or worn in a buttonhole, or a stick-on version is available.

The Royal British Legion has been developing the plastic-free poppy for the past three years, in collaboration with expert partners, as it works to reduce its use of single-use plastic and be economical, sustainable, and less impactful to the environment.

It has been created from bespoke red and green paper produced from a blend of renewable fibres from responsible sources, 50% of which come from the offcuts created during the production of paper coffee cups.