How to Have an Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day
Happy Eco Valentine’s Day! As with other holidays, this one, too, comes with a lot of waste. Valentine’s Day has been taken over by capitalism and it has become a day (or month??) of buying stuff instead of celebrating the true meaning of the day: celebrating loved ones!
While this is traditionally a day for couples, these tips can also be applied to children’s celebrations at school and with friends for events like Galentine’s Day. So, let’s learn about having a zero waste Valentine’s Day!
Chocolates
One of the most iconic pieces of this day is the chocolate. But, much of our chocolate comes at a cost to humans, too, in the form of unethical labor. Big brands like Hershey and Nestle have been known to use slave labor for decades. They claim to have stopped, but journalists have discovered that there are some lies and coverups. And since Americans consume around 58 million pounds of chocolate on Valentine’s Day alone, it’s important that we support brands that do not exploit their workers on the ground in West Africa where much of the world’s cocoa grows.
So, opt for Fairtrade, Organic, or B-Corp certified to ensure that your chocolate is made ethically and as sustainably as possible. You may be wondering what all of these certifications mean: Fairtrade, Organic, B Corp, and more. Well, good news, I break it down fully in this video. In short, these certifications help ensure that companies are true to their word about their commitments to the planet and people. It certifies that your candy is made ethically and environmentally responsibly. These certifications are great to look for on all your products all year long! Here are a few of my favorites, but be sure to look in person, too:
Equal Exchange chocolate minis
Tony’s Chocolonely full-size chocolate bars
Other Candies
Maybe your partner or child doesn’t like chocolate, opt for some other candy instead but make it eco! Here is the full post on eco-friendly candies (it’s for Halloween but you can use it any time of the year) but in short, here’s what makes candy eco-friendly: as little packaging as possible; recyclable or reusable packaging; certified Organic, Fairtrade, B-Corp, or something else; vegan; and they will actually eat and enjoy it all to prevent food waste. Here are a few of my favorites:
Smart Sweets gummies
Black Forest gummy bears
Sun & Swell makes fun treat bars in flavors like brownie and apple pie
Candy Kittens are certified B-corp and palm oil-free
Flowers
Another iconic symbol of Valentine’s Day that has the potential to do a bit of environmental harm depending on where you source them from, are flowers. In short, many of our flowers for Valentine’s Day are imported: roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums make up the majority of imported and purchased flowers. They are usually grown in South America where they are flown to Miami, Florida, and then further dispersed within the US usually by semi or other truck and no longer via plane.
So, opt away from these more traditional flowers and find some that are locally grown. Bonus tip: shop small instead of heading to a large box store like Walmart or Kroger. This is why shopping small is better for the planet. Head on down to your local florist and ask about any locally grown options. Even if they’re something totally different than roses or a different color altogether. You can start a new, eco Valentine’s tradition.
Keep them in water and compost them when you’re done with them to further lessen their impact on the planet.
Food
Want to have a fancy date that’s centered around food? You have a few options to make it as eco as possible!
First, cook at home. You can control the ingredients and also the potential waste. Head to the farmers market and/or bulk store to source your ingredients as locally as possible and with the least amount of packaging. Now, you can cook together to add to the romantic spirit. Make something classic that you already know you both love or make something new and experiment!
Maybe cooking isn’t your forte, instead, simply bake treats together. You could try your hand at cake pops, cookies, a pie, or really anything you’d like to enjoy for Valentine’s Day. Let someone else handle the fancy meal and come home to bake something simple to end the night with.
If dining out, try a new restaurant! See if you can find one that is eco-friendly such as prioritzing plant-based dishes, serving on reusable plates with reusable cutlery, and maybe even sources their ingredients locally. Even if none of that works out for you, try brining your own containers to pack the leftovers in to reduce some waste.
If you’re hosting a Valentine’s or Galentine’s dinner party, here are my tips for throwing a zero waste party.
Date
Maybe food isn’t your ideal date night. That’s okay! Here are some more romantic yet low waste date ideas:
A wine tasting (or other alcohol)
A chocolate tasting at a local chocolate shop
Try a class together such as a cooking class or pottery class
Go to an art museum
Make a craft at home together
Make candles together (my favorite brand to do this is Everly)
Watch a movie
And more!
Check out this list of zero waste date ideas part 1 and part 2 for more inspiration.
Image from Squarespace
Undergarments
Want to buy something special to feel good this Valentine’s Day? Don’t sacrifice the planet in the process! Many of our undergarments are made with polyester which is derived from plastic. So, opt for some natural undergarments made from cotton, hemp, or recycled materials instead. Here are a few of my favorite brands:
Perfume
As a chronic migraine girlie, this is something I always skip out on. Perfumes are often way too potent and way too artificial for my sensitive nose and brain to handle. But, I know not everyone is willing to just forgo this entirely. But, traditional perfumes do have their environmental risks. Envy Nature writes, “According to the Environmental Working Group, some of these synthetic compounds can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. VOCs contribute to air pollution and can negatively affect both your health and the environment. They have been linked to respiratory issues and can contribute to smog formation.”
Is there a way to avoid these VOCs? Yes! There are some eco and health-conscious brands out there such as:
Clean Beauty (which is also gluten-free and vegan)
Henry Rose, which is Environmental Working Group (EWG) certified (this link gets you $10 off)
One Seed which is made from plants
Abbott is not only sustainable but vegan, too!
Image from Squarespace
Jewelry
When you think of Valentine’s jewelry, you probably think of diamonds, right? Well, diamonds are one of the worst materials on the planet when it comes to sustainability and ethics. They are mined in environmentally intense processes and often extracted by exploited people.
So, let’s rethink our use of diamonds. Instead, opt for secondhand diamonds from pawn shops, thrift stores, family heirlooms, or other means of secondhand shopping. Or, you could get a stone that looks just like a diamond but is cheaper and more ethical such as moissanite, cubic zirconia, or white sapphire. This video explaining the difference and pros and cons of these stones is great! Though, I still recommend shopping secondhand to have the least impact.
Alternatively, you can opt for recycled jewelry. While diamonds may be amongst the most intensive to create, that doesn’t mean that gold and silver are good to create from new. So, opt for recycled jewelry (or again, secondhand). My favorite recycled jewelry brand is Lackadazee. I have been wearing the body jewelry for years and they have some lovely bigger pieces, too. Some other brands are Merchants of the Sun and Cled.
Makeup
When it comes to getting dressed up to go out for your fancy date, make sure your makeup is eco-friendly, too. First, use what you have. Try to get by with your current stash. If you do need to buy new, opt for small, sustainable brands that use plant-based ingredients and recyclable or compostable packaging. Much of our make-up is made from fossil fuel-derived ingredients and packaged in plastic that is hard or impossible to recycle. This impact adds up! If you have empties, however, try your local Sephora to see if they have a recycling program.
Here are a few of my favorite eco makeup brands as someone who rarely does make-up but these are my trusted basics:
Alcohol
If drinking is part of your Valentine’s Day, here’s how to do so in an eco way. I’m sure you’ve caught onto a theme by now, cause the first time is to use what you have. If you already have a stash at home, use that to make your own drinks at home. This can be a fun part of the date and also reduce packaging waste instead of buying pre-made drinks.
Option two is to shop locally. Get wine from a local winery, beer from a local brewery, and things of that nature.
If you don’t have local options to you, buy online or at your local liquor store and look for the same or similar certifications that we talked about in the chocolate section: B-Corp, Organic, Fairtrade, and so forth. Here is a full list of sustainable alcohols if you’d like to learn more.
Image from Squarespace
Gifts
We personally don’t do gifts for Valentine’s Day, but if you do, make them sustainable! The most sustainable gift you give is something that that person will actually use. You could gift them a reusable water bottle. That’s a sustainable product designed to help reduce waste. But, if they never use it, that is NOT sustainable. I’d argue it’s more sustainable to get them something wasteful like a new video game if they use it frequently and for a long time.
If you have no idea what to get them, here is a list of my sustainable gift guides throughout the years. Yes, they’re written for Christmas, but they can be used all year long. They include things like free gifts, experience gifts, home goods, clothing, food, and so much more:
The Ultimate Gift Guide from 2024
Last years Eco Gift Guide 2023
Low waste gifts Ideas 2022; let’s talk small businesses!
Valentine Boxes for Kids
A core memory for me is making Valentine’s Boxes in elementary school. Thanks to growing up frugal, we did this in a relatively eco way without even meaning to! We would use repurposed show boxes and decorate them with craft supplies we already had. We rarely bought anything new to make these. I would use things like stickers, glitter glue, pom-poms, paint, construction paper, markers, and more. Now, those supplies may not be the most eco on their own, but the fact that we used it up before buying new IS eco. I encourage you to do the same with your kids!
If you do need new materials, try secondhand shopping first. Many thrift stores have oodles of craft supplies from paper to stickers to paints and more. Alternatively, you can try to search for an art-specific secondhand store in your town. Try searching “secondhand craft store” or “craft reuse store” or something similar on Google Maps to see what pops up. I’ve found these in Spokane, Minneapolis, Richmond, and Cincinnati and they’re so fun!
You could also try your local Buy Nothing Group to see if anyone is willing to give you some supplies for free and secondhand. Learn more about No Buy Groups in this video.
As a last resort, buy new. Maybe you head to your local craft store and opt for recycled paper. Maybe you order something online from places like Earth Hero that have an abundance of eco craft supplies. When buying new, opt for paper products, other plant-based options, or recycled materials to make it the most eco!
Image from Squarespace
And that brings us to the end! If you have more tips for having a low waste Valentine’s Day, let us know below. I’m sure there are many more ideas where this came from.
At the end of the day, let’s try to return this holiday (and others) to their original meaning: love, quality time, and being together. Let’s break away from consumerism as much as possible and make it more about memories and experiences. Celebrate one another, not the stores you shop at!
I hope you have a lovely holiday with your significant other, your children, and your friends. Celebrate ALL of the love in your life!
Thank you for reading along. As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
