10 Eco-friendly Valentine's Day Tips To Love the Planet and Your Loved One

It’s Valentine’s Day folks, and love is in the air! It’s a day we celebrate by showing our loved ones how much we care, but do you know what that costs our planet? We hardly think about it, but Valentine’s Day can be a real environmental disaster. Have you ever thought about the millions of cards glazed with glitter and laminated with plastic that are sent each year on this day alone? Piling up in landfills, right? Or, those beautiful bouquets of roses that are polluting the air, soil and water supplies with agrochemicals used to grow them at a large scale. Don’t get me started on the endless throwaway decorations, hearts and teddies, balloons and bows that will  end up in landfills.

Honestly I’m not hating on Valentine’s Day! I absolutely love it and all the fuzzy celebration that comes with it, it’s just that I love our planet as well. Let’s do it differently this year, shall we? Here are our top 10 tips that will help you love the planet as much as you love your special person, and together we can all have an eco-friendly Valentine’s Day.

Here are our top ten tips to make Mother Nature proud

Instead of picking up a last minute box of chocolates from the nearest convenience store, why not plan in advance to buy some wholesome and delicious local, organic, fair trade chocolates. By purchasing fair trade certified chocolates you are supporting fair wages for farmers and workers who grow and manufacture chocolate in safe working conditions using environment friendly methods. You will definitely be spreading love to more than one person, in fact across the planet. Wondering where to start? Don't worry, we got you covered! Check out Camino Amigos for some yummy delights.

2. Give cards that bloom into beautiful wildflowers.

There’s nothing as precious as handwritten love notes, is there? But what if I tell you that you can write these sweet nothings on cards that bloom into pretty wildflowers? You can literally watch these cards bloom like your love for each other, sigh, oh so romantic! Well, have you heard about these amazing plantable greeting cards by SowSweet Greetings? The Good Tee is so excited to have collaborated with the talented artist Nicole, who creates these super fun cards that are made from 100% recycled paper and embedded with wildflower seeds ready for planting. Now you can give a beautiful and funny card, and at the same time give flowers!

3. Skip the bouquets, pick plants

Honestly, why buy a bouquet when you can get the whole plant? It lasts longer, makes any room bright and cozy and you don’t end up contributing to an environmentally disastrous industry. Yes, the flower industry has a dark side. The carbon emissions associated with cut-flower production can be as high as 3kg CO2 per flower. Also, the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers polluting the groundwater and poisoning pollinators is another problem all together. Scary right? The simple solution to this is, buy a plant and nurture it with love and care together with your partner. Symbolic right, nurturing with love?

4. Spread the love and donate to a cause

Think different this year. Instead of exchanging gifts or indulging in an expensive night out, why not go eco-friendly this Valentine’s Day. How? Make a donation to an environmental cause or animal shelter in your loved one’s name. What say?

Or, you can go further than a donation and save an animal from a shelter and surprise your partner with a cutie doggo or a cuddly kitty, because what says love more than a cute pet? But make sure that your significant other actually wants a pet. Pets are family you know, a responsibility that brings with it oodles of love and affection.

5. Romantic = Farm to plate meal right at home

We’re still in lockdown, so a fancy candle lit expensive dinner is pretty much last season. But there is a much better idea, a fresh, home cooked, organic dinner for two made from scratch. Now that’s an effort that will give you all the brownie points. And to make this and in the meantime help the planet Shop for local produce, support organic and farm fresh instead of big box stores, hand pick those gorgeous ingredients and fill that kitchen with irresistible aromas. That’s a romantic dinner done right, trust me.

6. Support a local bakery

I can safely say love means cupcakes. Yes, when you share a cupcake, you actually share love. It’s sweet, it’s decadent, and it’s something you should definitely get from your local baker this year. It’s been a tough year for all small businesses, support your neighborhood friendly bakery or home bakers who are baking such scrumptious organic and vegan cakes, cookies and so much more. 

 Here’s our top bakery suggestion, check it out.

 7. Ethical is the new sexy

 It’s high time we think before we buy. It’s all about doing basic research and that’s where we all start on the path of sustainability and conscious living. Yes of course buy those gifts for the one you love, but what will make it better is if you shop ethically. Ethical is the new sexy, try it and I promise you won’t regret it. Need somewhere to start? Have a look at what sustainable fashion looks like for starters, head to our good shop.

8. Wrap the gift with just love, not pape

 Now that you’ve done your ping, ditch those wrapping papers, sticky tapes and ribbons and instead wrap your gift with love. By love I mean, love for the planet as well. Use recyclable alternatives like brown paper, natural string, a reusable cloth bag, or even get creative by using scarves made with natural fibres. So you can choose the one that your partner will absolutely love and the most helpful at the same time . The planet will love you back for that.

 9. Wear your love together

Now you can wear love everywhere you go. I’m talking about customizing some good tees for you and your partner. Get creative, get goofy, or just hopelessly romantic. Print a favourite line from a song, a quote, a secret inside joke, or a witty pun. Make it personal, make it fun and do it on our 100% organic cotton tees that are super soft and fair trade certified. Check out the greenest tee ever made right here.

10. Support local artists

Art is surely an expression of love. How do you feel about supporting some good humans who create this art? I say hell yeah! Order a customized painting, or book a couple’s spot for an online painting class, get in touch with a local musician and personalize a new tune for your person, or better still learn how to play it with a few online classes and surprise your significant other, because every heart sings a song. There’s just so much local talent around, give them a chance to make this day more romantic for you.

See, it’s that simple to think out of the box and spread love in unique ways without spreading any waste. The possibilities are limitless, so make this Valentine’s Day eco-friendly, gentle on the planet and the environment. This way you can share love and happiness not only with your partner but also with the planet we all share! Tell us in the comments below which was your favourite tip that made this day special?