Comic Relief has revealed its first ever 100% plastic-free, plant-based Red Nose, which will launch early next year for Red Nose Day 2021.
Comic Relief and its long-standing partner, Sainsbury’s, have created the new Red Nose from bagasse, a natural by-product of sugarcane.
The new Nose has taken over 18 months to develop, following ‘extensive research’ and testing into suitable plastic free alternative materials, it says.
In keeping with the environmentally friendly theme, the Noses will be available in 10 different characters representing the great outdoors for the public to collect, including a squirrel, fox, badger and more.
Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s had been researching more sustainable materials for some time, when in early 2019, the charity received letters and emails from hundreds of school children from across the country, asking them to create a plastic-free Nose to help reduce single-use plastic waste and protect the environment.
“Hearing their voices encouraged the charity to step up a gear with their sustainability plans,” it says.
Our new Nose marks a strong step on our sustainability journey. We are committed to designing a more sustainable Nose every year
One school, Fourlanesend Community Primary School in Cornwall, received the backing of Sir David Attenborough when they wrote to him and shared their alternative Red Nose suggestion.
Sir David sent them a handwritten letter which said, “you are perfectly correct to revise the question of replacing plastic products wherever we can, and I hope you get an adequate answer from Comic Relief.”
Richard Curtis, Comic Relief co-founder, said: “I’m extremely pleased that we have created the first plastic-free nose for Red Nose Day 2021 – it is amazing what you can create from a sugar cane product.
“Our new Nose marks a strong step on our sustainability journey. We are committed to designing a more sustainable Nose every year, while continuing to make them attractive and fun, and recognise we still have a lot of work to do in creating the perfect model.
“But this journey is an exciting one and we thank all the children and supporters who let us know they wanted a plastic free option. I’m delighted to give the environmental champion pupils at Fourlanesend Community Primary School the first look at the new Noses.
“Children are at the heart of our Red Nose Day campaign and their opinions are really important to us. The work we support at Comic Relief is more important than ever in the face of COVID-19 – so let’s hope we sell a lot of Noses and continue to help to changes a lot of lives at home and abroad.”