Red roses, and heart-shaped everything: Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. It’s likely that if you haven’t gotten something special for your loved one yet, you may find yourself rushing to the store to pick up some chocolates, or looking to make a reservation at a fancy restaurant.Swept up in the theme of the holiday, we often don’t realize the impact these traditional choices have on the environment. Before you reach for a typical Valentine’s Day present, try out some greener alternatives. Who knows, helping out the planet may even score you some points for originality! 💚
Store Bought Cards → Tree Free Paper
Over 190 MILLION store-bought cards are gifted on Valentine’s Day. Not only is that a lot of paper being used, but waste comes from the chemicals and materials needed for production.Instead of buying your significant other a card that thousands of other people could be reading too, try making your own! Better yet, look for tree-free paper for your personalized masterpiece. Tree-free paper can be made out of a variety of materials that are more sustainable. Some common ones are created from products that would have been seen as waste, such as cane sugar husks. Other kinds are made from faster-growing plants, such as bamboo. 💌Can’t find tree-free paper near you? Scout out some recycled paper! There are tons of greener options that also help give you a personalized touch.
Bouquet of Red Roses → Planting Flowers
We get it, flowers are a Valentine’s Day classic. However, the pretty bouquet arrangements that decorate stores and homes for the season don’t just have a cost of currency.Carbon emissions that come from transporting these flowers have a serious environmental cost. To preserve the flowers in transit they need to be refrigerated, and this causes the trucks moving them to use 25% more fuel than in normal trucks. That’s just one part of the process.Instead of buying flowers this holiday, try making a memory with your loved one by planting your own. Depending on your climate, some plants can be planted outdoors in February, or you can opt for an indoor beauty. Plants such as Calatheas and Peace Lilies do great inside! 🌹
New Jewelry→ Vintage Jewelry
As with any raw material from the earth, diamonds produce a heavy environmental footprint–releasing over 125 pounds of carbon dioxide per carat, in addition to sulphur dioxide. Other new materials, such as silver, also give out emissions while collecting them.Instead of adding to those measurements this year, try gifting vintage jewelry! Antique stores are a great place to look for unique pieces, or there are lots of options on resale websites. Not only will your gift be environmentally friendlier, but it’ll have a story. 💍If you can’t find something for your partner in time, and do find yourself in a new jewelry shop, try to look for lab-made diamonds. Although they still give off carbon in their product, it’s 98% lower than mined diamonds.
Restaurant Dinner for Two → In-Season Home Cooked Food
It only takes one meal to know that eating out on Valentine’s day can get expensive. Not only that, but lots of ingredients in restaurants are linked to having a high carbon footprint.Instead of emptying your wallet and the ozone layer, make a date out of a home-cooked meal. Shop together for ingredients at a fresh local market, or pick out in-season food from your grocery store. Bonus points for organics! Not only will you both be able to eat exactly what you want, you’ll be able to have some fun with it as well. 🥰
Chocolate Hearts → Fair Trade Taste Test
We’ve all had the generic heart-shaped filled chocolates that seem to be everywhere in February. As good as it tastes, cocoa beans can contribute to environmental downgrade if production is not monitored, and often plantation workers are not fairly paid for their labor. Fair trade chocolate lets consumers know that its chocolate was not produced under these conditions.Instead of settling for average flavors this February 14th, try to grab an array of fun fair-trade chocolates for you and your Valentine. You can rank your favorites, or try to guess each flavor with a blind taste test. Either way, you get chocolate while making a greener choice. Talk about a win-win! 🍫
Say it with a Tree!
The best way to express your love and give back to Mother Earth – gifting these trees made with love by our team in the US. We plant 10 trees in a developing country for each tree gifted!
Grow your love. Grow a forest. Shop our tree gifts for Valentines Day!
