GREEN SCENE
Claire Saul takes time to remember and celebrates green steps towards safer, smarter and more sustainable living
In this annual period of Remembrance, we all like to show support for our armed services personnel and their families by buying one of the products offered by the Royal British Legion. Most often, we choose to buy the iconic red poppy.
This year, in an effort to reduce the use of single-use plastic and to be economical, sustainable, and have less impact on the environment, the Royal British Legion has proudly launched a fully recyclable poppy, the first design revamp in 28 years.
The new-look poppy is made completely from paper, with no plastic stem or centre, and can be recycled through ordinary household recycling collections.
This new version 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 or worn in a buttonhole, and a stick-on version is also available.
It will be sold alongside remaining stocks of the old versions of the poppy to reduce wastage. For the duration of the Poppy Appeal and for two weeks afterwards, these old-style poppies can be returned to a Sainsbury’s store for recycling.
The new poppy has been created from bespoke red and green paper, produced from a blend of renewable fibres from responsible sources, 50% of which has been recovered from the waste used in the production of coffee cups.
Scientists at University College London have assessed its environmental impact and their research found that it has a 40% smaller carbon footprint and a similar reduction in its overall impact on the environment.
Meanwhile, alongside 415 memorials commemorating the service of the armed forces, the National Memorial Arboretum is home to over 25,000 trees.
The site, located within the National Forest in Staffordshire, is passionate about maintaining a green environment, which includes the creation of wildlife habitats and the introduction of beehives.
It uses ethically sourced, Fairtrade or FSC marked products wherever possible, recycles grounds materials as compost and uses PIR lighting to reduce energy usage.
In July, the 61-hectare (150-acre) garden and