Show the planet some love this Valentine’s Day
Every year we use the 14th of February to show our love for one another. What better way to say I Love You than wanting a sustainable future for our planet? Whether you’re celebrating as a couple, friends, or just treating yourself to some self-love, there are plenty of ways to be sustainable. Our green living experts talk you through how to show the planet a little love this Valentine’s Day.
When it’s more than just the thought that counts
In America alone, it is estimated that 145 million cards are exchanged every Valentine’s Day, combined with 198 million roses and 881 thousand bottles of sparkling wine. And that’s just one country.
Across the world we mark this occasion with bold gestures of affection, often involving presents and flowers. Every year, tons of our wrapping paper and cards end up in landfill. Added to the carbon emissions from transporting exotic flowers from all around the world, this leaves a rather bitter taste…
Rather than cutting flowers for bouquets, what we need now more than ever is a concerted effort to protect our natural world from climate change and damaging human activity. Trees act as a natural carbon sink, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow. Two important steps in fighting climate change are: 1) protecting our forests and 2) limiting the amount of CO2 we produce.
This doesn’t mean stopping Valentine’s Day celebrations completely. Au contraire! We’re here with plenty of ideas for a green celebration of love this year.
Green gift ideas for Valentine’s Day
Everyone loves presents, it’s a fact. So here’s our top suggestions for green gifts this V day.
Give plants not flowers
Flowers will die within a week, maybe two of giving them anyway. Why not show your love this Valentine’s Day with a houseplant or some seeds to grow your very own plant.
We particularly like Patch Plant for a great selection of plants of all shapes and sizes that you can match with a pot. And the deliveries are entirely packaging free, making this a greener way to give flowers this year.*
Light a candle for a romantic atmosphere
Hand poured in leafy Lancashire, Cottonwick Candle Co. makes beautiful artisanal candles and wax melts using sustainable rapeseed wax, finished with a delicate sprinkle of fresh rose petals and lavender buds.
These eco-friendly candles also include reusable drawstring gift bags to eliminate excess packaging and needless waste. And the luscious wax melts are sealed inside glassine paper bags which are recyclable, biodegradable and 100% plastic free! Now that does sound like a happy Valentine’s Day.*
Dress up for date night
Whether you’ll be dating on Zoom this year or doing Valentine’s day with your housemates, why not make an occasion of it. Put on your best party clothes, and if you’re in the mood for some new makeup, check out Zao organic makeup. All the products here are 100% natural and certified Vegan and Cruelty free, making it the perfect gift for your loved one or yourself.*
Chocolate that’s fighting modern slavery
You may have seen the brightly coloured packaging popping up in your local corner shop. Tony’s Chocolonely are on a mission to fight modern slavery in the cocoa industry supply chain with their chocolate bars. This company closely follows Fair Trade standards for all their products as well as opposing chattel slavery and child labour. By partnering with trading companies in Ghana and Ivory Coast to buy cocoa beans directly from the farmers, Tony’s provides farmers with a premium price for their cocoa beans, combating exploitation. With chocolate being one of the staples of a traditional Valentine’s Day, Tony’s is a great choice for sustainability, and it’s absolutely delicious.
* Exclusive discounts and gift cards available for Treepoints members
Ditch the carbon footprint, love is free
Every year, the average UK resident is responsible for adding 5.6 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere. This is more than the residents of many countries in the Global South emit in a whole year. In order to reach our global goal of net zero emissions by 2050, we’re all going to need to work on cutting our carbon footprints. At Treepoints, we always recommend first reducing your footprint by making sensible lifestyle changes. And then what’s left over, you can offset.
What better way to show your love than helping your loved ones to offset their carbon footprint. Services like Treepoints simplify carbon offsetting. So all you have to do is make a small monthly donation based on the size of your footprint (don’t worry, our handy calculator will work this out for you) and then we donate to amazing carbon reduction schemes all around the world on your behalf.
So there you have it. Our top tips for a totally green Valentine’s Day, sharing the love with you and the planet. 💚
Read this next: Understanding your carbon footprint
