Whatever your feelings are about the holiday, make Valentine’s Day your own by taking the opportunity to show appreciation for the one who loves you unconditionally: our planet!
(ecoki.com)
With an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards sent worldwide, 36 million boxes of chocolates, and 250 million roses produced for Valentine’s Day, it’s time to do something different.
Follow these green Valentine’s Day tips and you’ll be supporting a healthy planet:
- If flowers are your style… buy local! Swing by your local farmers’ market for a fresh bouquet. Check out Local Harvest to find a sustainable florist near you.
- Ditch dirty gold. The manufacture of an average gold ring creates more than 20 tons of mining waste! Buy your jewelry from one of more than 100 retailers who have taken a step towards a more responsible sourcing of gold.
- Feeling crafty? Let nature inspire you! For some special Valentine’s Day kid’s craft projects, check out these nature-inspired ideas from National Wildlife Federation.
- Skip the card. Instead, opt for a hand-written letter or poem on recycled paper. Or better yet, create a list of all the things you love about the person. Give these to friends, children, parents, and partners and they will all appreciate the extra thought and personal touch.
- For the chocolate lover: how about fair-trade and organic chocolate? Or maybe spending an evening making fudge together is the perfect Green Valentine gift idea?
- Instead of a crowded restaurant… opt for a homemade, homegrown, local, and/or organic meal together! Organic wine is also easy to find. Make it even “greener” by using beeswax candles!
- Something unique- Plant a tree together to symbolize your relationship’s strength and endurance. Place a list (on compostable paper of course) of all the things you love about each other under its roots!
Keep “green” in mind when surrounded by all that red this Valentine’s Day!
