MILITARY and civilian personnel at HM Naval Base Clyde came together to launch the 2023 Poppy Scotland Appeal.

Staff lined up in the HMS Neptune supermess to make their donation and receive one of the new plastic-free poppies.

The 100 per cent paper poppies have taken three years to develop – with the design being described as ‘more economical, sustainable, and less impactful to the environment’.

They are now available to purchase across the UK.

Greenock Telegraph: Captain Elaine Boyd and Chief Petty Officer Murray Anderson at the HMNB Clyde Poppy LaunchCaptain Elaine Boyd and Chief Petty Officer Murray Anderson at the HMNB Clyde Poppy Launch (Image: Royal Navy)

Captain Elaine Boyd, captain of the base, said: “It was wonderful to see the One Clyde community coming together today and wearing a paper poppy with pride, as a show of support for our Armed Forces and their sacrifice.”

The Royal British Legion says 50 per cent of the paper used in the new design comes from the offcuts created during the production of paper coffee cups.

It is the first re-design of the poppy since the mid-1990s.