Royal British Legion launches Poppy Appeal in Milton Keynes with new plastic-free poppy

The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal 2023 has launched today (Thursday) with a new plastic-free poppy

It is fully recyclable at home and the biggest redesign for 28 years, they say.

The annual fundraiser calls for the public to ‘wear a poppy and show you care’ for the Armed Forces community, and raises vital funds to support veterans, serving personnel and their families all year round.

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 poppy is made from 100% paper and easily recycled in household collections. The innovative new 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, 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 per cent of which come from the offcuts created during the production of paper coffee cups.

The launch of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal marks the start of the national period of Remembrance, when the nation wears the poppy and reflects on the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces.

Members of the public will be able to get their poppy – the original version or the new plastic-free version - from thousands of volunteers across the UK, or from major supermarkets.

All funds raised from the Poppy Appeal will be used by Royal British Legion to support serving personnel, veterans, and their families in a range of ways, from help with the cost of living, mental wellbeing and housing, to support with recovery after trauma or illness.

Poonam Vaja, Poppy Appeal Manager for Buckinghamshire said: “We want to encourage as many people as possible to get a poppy this year and show their gratitude and support to those in the Armed Forces whose service and sacrifice should never be forgotten. “We’re so proud that this year, we have our new plastic-free poppy too, so that people across Worcestershire can wear this poignant symbol of Remembrance, with less impact on the environment.

“Since the first Poppy Appeal in 1921 to today, public donations have provided a lifeline for service people and their families, and last year, we helped more than 27,000 people in the Armed Forces community.

“As a veteran myself, I am grateful to the public for giving what they can to support the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal this year. Donations enable us to support the Armed Forces community past and present, all year round, and shows them that wearing a poppy shows you care.”