Royal Canadian Legion takes a 'green' approach to poppies this Remembrance Day

With the same classic look, these biodegradable poppies will help keep our country clean while you honour our vets.

November is a windy month, and having to buy a new poppy because your first one blew off is a Canadian tradition at this point.

With that in mind, the Royal Canadian Legion now offers biodegradable poppies, which have the same look but are less damaging to the environment.

"We really wanted to reduce our environmental footprint and create a way for people to still remember with the iconic symbol that they know and are used to—the beautiful red poppy—but also know that when they're wearing one, whether [this year or] use it for the next year, or dispose of it respectfully, that it will be biodegradable," Legion communications representative Nujma Bond told The Weather Network in 2022 when the biodegradable poppies were initially introduced.

Paper and cotton velvet are now being used to replace the traditional plastic and felt poppies, said Bond.

Nathan Coleman: Traditional poppy (left) vs. biodegradable poppy (right)

Side-by-side comparison of the traditional poppy (left) and the biodegradable poppy (right). (Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)


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If you don't get one this year, however, it's because the Royal Canadian Legion has to go through their old stock of plastic poppies before they're completely replaced by their biodegradable counterparts.

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Biodegradable wreaths are also available, which are constructed of moss and bamboo.

To learn more about this new environmentally-friendly take on poppies, watch the video above.