Smarter And Greener Ways To Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Ah, Valentine’s Day.  We love the magic that the day brings — everyone seems to be extra-sweet and nice, and of course, we love getting the flowers, the gifts, the chocolates and all those lovely Valentine’s gifts! We at Green Blossoms think that everyday should be Valentine’s Day — we should tell our loved ones how much they mean to us all year round instead of waiting for the love month!

But as much as we love the romance and feel-good atmosphere of V-day, it makes us sad that it’s the one occasion that can be flat-out wasteful.  Valentines Day is big business and as such, has the potential to have substantial impact on the environment. If you’ve never really given much thought to the impact of Valentines day to the environment, consider these facts (Source: American Greetings Corporation and the US Census Bureau ):

• 180 million  – number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged each year in the U.S alone! This number excludes cards exchanged in classrooms between children! (the one billion cards laid end to end would stretch around the world 5 times! That’s a lot of trees!)

• Over 36 million – number of boxes of chocolate are sold each year (can you imagine all that chocolate??)
• 65%  – percentage of American households typically participate in Valentine’s Day by exchanging cards, going out on a date, or buying a gift such as chocolates, a plush toy, flowers, or jewelry.
• 25% – percentage of Valentine’s cards among all seasonal cards sent annually

So how does an environmentally-conscious You celebrate V-day? Our idea is simple: no extravagant gifts or outlandish plans — just simple, earth-friendly alternatives that have less impact on the planet, are good for the your health and something you and your sweetie can enjoy at the same time. Since it takes a little more effort to have a green Valentine’s Day, we’re putting up this post out days earlier to give you time to plan this special day. We’ve listed some of our favorite green V-day tips to help you celebrate V-day the green way.  So this year, get ready to pamper your sweetie and yourself (if you’re single) without spoiling the planet!

Singles

Embrace people in your life that you love. Valentine’s Day is not just for couples. In its basic sense, V-Day is a day to express love, whether it’s towards your spouse, boyfriend, child, or neighbor. So stop thinking of it as a day dedicated to married or almost-married couples and instead think of it as the day you show your love and gratitude to the people you love most. And for heaven’s sake, stop calling it Singles Awareness Day!

Create your own card or send an e-card. If you really want to buy a card, buy the ones made from recycled or tree-free paper. Or better yet, just go ahead and tell your special someone in person that you care. Nothing beats telling a family member or friend in person how thankful you are for  having them in your life!

Bond with single friends. Indulge in eco-friendly foods or a day at the spa! Bond with friends by spending the day at an eco-friendly spa. Book now and take advantage of V-day discounts for both individuals and groups. After the spa, have healthy dinner at home or at a vegan restaurant! Don’t forget to wear mineral makeup when you do go out with the girls!

Treat yourself to a used gift. Look for interesting used stuff at Half, Ebay or Craigslist! You might find a great book, a vintage dress or shirt or a set of DVDs! Buying used is a great way to give life to old things, and used things don’t consume new resources!

Volunteer! Since this month is about love, do something that will enable you to show your love for others and the environment. Volunteer to help out at your local animal shelter, pick up trash in your local park, clean up your neighborhood! Better to volunteer at an organization near you so you can walk and save gas!

Put on some eco-pajamas, read a good book or watch a movie! If you’re planning on just staying home, get really comfortable.  Why not put on those pajamas made from organic silk or beautiful hemp and curl up in your comfortable organic bamboo mattress!

Couples

Go for locally-grown flowers! What’s Valentine’s Day without the lovely flowers? But did you know that conventionally-grown cut flowers are usually doused with toxic pesticides that are damaging to both people and the environment? And most flowers, especially roses, are shipped to the U.S. from South America, which is thousands of miles away! This wastes tons of gas and puts boatloads of Co2 into the air. You can avoid this negative impact on the planet by buying locally-grown flowers.

Plan a healthy date night. Consider supporting an organic or vegan restaurant that uses locally-grown produce or think about whipping up an intimate meal at home!  Sometimes it’s close to impossible to book a reservation at most restaurants in town, so why bother stressing when you can stay at home and cook? If your honey isn’t into vegetarian, then mix up your vegan menu and his choice of meat!

Lust after organic chocolates! What would Valentine’s Day be without a box of chocolates and a glass of wine to share with you honey? Most health food and organic markets now carry organic chocolates. Go with a brand that’s organic and supports Fair Trade, like Theo Organic Chocolates, Sweet Earth, or Kopali!

Give the gift of wellness. Why not give a gift certificate for a service, like a massage or holistic facial instead of, say, expensive jewelry? Buy the person a gift certificate for holistic therapies e.g. massage, naturopath, health spa. By doing this, you not only make your sweetie happy, you also help support a local business!

Get green jewelry! Ok, if you really want to splurge this year and want to get jewelry, then go with a jeweler who uses conflict-free diamonds, like Brilliant Earth. You can also consider getting pre-owned or purchasing from jewelers who are certified to be sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner.

Consider unique green gifts. If you want to get a really unique gift, then search for something that will do double-duty. Places like  Ten Thousand Villages, EtsyEarth or Ebay’s World of Good are not only socially responsible businesses, but they’re also eco-friendly. Worth checking out: Ebay’s World of Good’ Valentine eco-goodies in a basket!

Take a romantic walk! When was the last time you and your honey shared a romantic walk together, holding hands? Instead of driving to some expensive restaurant, take a romantic walk on the beach, around your block or around your favorite park on Valentine’s Day.

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 4:00 amand is filed under Earth Warrior Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.