Buxton volunteer groups recycle remembrance wreaths into centenary tribute for Poppy Factory

Following last year’s ceremonies, the Friends of Buxton Station (FoBS) rescued a large number of old poppy wreaths which were being disposed of by High Peak Borough Council.

Unlike the paper poppies many people wear at this time of year, the textile versions used in most wreaths cannot be recycled, so they are ultimately destined for landfill.

FoBS chairman Dave Carlisle said: “We didn’t like the idea that these tributes to those who died in conflict were simply chucked away.”

Instead, the group decided to repurpose the poppies into a new remembrance display marking 100 years of the Poppy Factory – a charity created in 1922 to employ wounded soldiers returning from the First World War.

To this day, the factory in Richmond-upon-Thames makes remembrance wreaths for the Royal British Legion that are sold to support the annual Poppy Appeal, which in turn supports members of the armed forces in need.

With support from Buxton Town Team and the Baublers Christmas decoration volunteer group, around 1,500 poppies were separated from the damaged plastic wreaths and then stitched, glued and strung together in a new form.

Town team director Steve Bradshaw said: “We shared Dave’s concerns about the environmental impact of poppies becoming waste material and were aware of the need for sensitivity in dealing with them.

“When I found out about the Poppy Factory’s centenary, it seemed logical for us to use these poppies to help celebrate such a worthy cause.”

Tina Heathcote, one of the Baublers coordinators, added: “Special mention goes to all the people who have knitted poppies to go alongside the silky recycled ones as Buxton's contribution to remembrance. A lot of people have proudly dedicated time to make this tribute very special and memorable.”

The resultant display will be laid out on the Slopes, near to the war memorial, to be a central feature of the town’s commemoration events around Remembrance Day.

Poppy Factory spokesman Dan Hodges said: “Thank you Buxton for your support for the Poppy Factory in our centenary year, it's great to know that our work as a charity has such support.

“We are committed to reducing our environmental impact across our charity by all available means. As an organisation, we continue to work with our suppliers and partners, including the Royal British Legion, to move towards the use of fully sustainable, plastic-free materials in all remembrance products.”

The Royal British Legion has also issued tips on how to minimise the environmental impact of marking remembrance.

Spokesperson Lisa Courtnay said: “The most effective way to recycle our paper poppy is to return it to your local Sainsbury’s store after Remembrance Sunday. You could also wear an enamel poppy pin instead of a paper one.

“We are committed to reducing the amount of single use plastic associated with our Poppy Appeal products. We have already implemented changes that will remove over 8 million items of single use plastic from our products and will continue to look at ways to further reduce the environmental impact of our Poppy Appeal products.”

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