70 million pieces of single-use plastic have been removed annually from the production of the iconic Remembrance Poppy following a redesign, and it’s now made entirely from paper.
Millions of poppies are given out each year in return for donations to the Poppy Appeal, but they were being produced using 28 tonnes of single-use plastic and often discarded within just a few weeks. Not only was this environmentally damaging, with rising awareness around waste it also posed a threat to The Royal British Legion’s (RBL) donations and reputation.
The ambition of creating an all-paper poppy emerged from Matter, whose design concepts engaged multiple stakeholders including the RBL, paper mill and manufacturer into a multi-discipline partnership. From materials to assembly methods, the poppy’s structural integrity, to its manufacture and more, the design process facilitated collaborative decisions, prototyped and simulated solutions to deliver a new plastic-free poppy in 2023.
Entirely made from paper, using 50% up-cycled fibre, the solution is beautiful, tactile and cost-effective, while respecting symbolic iconography. A poppy for a modern era, it’s less impactful on the environment, can be assembled without the use of adhesive, is 100% recyclable via ordinary paper collections, and has reduced carbon emissions during its lifecycle by 40%. The innovation of the new poppy garnered widespread attention from the press, increasing demand at roll-out and improving brand perception, with 78% of the public thinking the plastic-free poppy shows the RBL is forward thinking.
