From our friends at Tiny Green Bubbles
Some people don’t love Valentine’s Day, claiming it’s a marketing holiday designed to suck your wallet dry. We, however, think that even if the intentions may not have been pure, the idea of a day to celebrate the idea of love is a good one. That said, because, at base, it’s a consumer-driven holiday, it runs the risk of being bad for the planet. We’ve already given you three big tips on keeping Valentine’s Day eco friendly, but here’s a quick list of ten things you can do to keep Valentine’s Day about love for people and the earth!
1. Lay Off the Paper Valentine’s Cards
E-cards and email are your friend! It’s one thing if you want to invest in that special card for your mother (mom’s love getting Valentine’s cards) or significant other. But if you like to send Valentine’s cards en masse, consider the electronic version! Or even a – sigh- Facebook post!
2. Make or Purchase Recycled Valentines Day Cards
For the printed cards that you are going to send, make them out of reclaimed paper if you’re the kind of person who likes to get crafty. If that’s not you, then there are plenty, plenty of options out there for purchasing Valentine’s cards made out of recycled materials.
3. Organic Flowers Only, Better Yet Get Local Flowers
Be responsible and ask your florist about the source of the flowers you’re about to buy. If you’re ordering online, you can get eco friendly, organic flowers at Organic Bouquet. If you’re buying locally from a florist, opt for flowers that he or she can confirm came from local greenhouses or farms. That may mean you don’t get as “exotic”, but it does mean that you’re having an eco lovers holiday.
4. Conscious Wine and Champagne Buying
Most of us will enjoy some fine wine or champagne this Valentine’s Day. Again, do a little research. If you don’t want to simply go the organic wine route, we understand. But look into what you’re buying. Are they using sustainable cork or bad plastic tops? Are the grapes grown sustainably? A simple internet search can make your liquor a lot less impactful on the planet.
5. Ethical Choices About Dining Out
If you are anywhere near any type of major urban environment, or even larger towns, there are so many fine dining establishments these days that include ethical and sustainable options that there’s absolutely no need to support restaurants that still support purchasing industrialized meat, overfished seafood or non-organic produce. Take the time to find and support an ethically sustainable restaurant this Valentine’s Day.
6. Eco Friendly, Socially Conscious Gifts
Please do not buy a synthetic teddy bear this holiday season. Please. We’ve listed out top five eco friendly Valentine’s Day gifts to help you out. However, there are hundreds of other options out there. Please think about whether what you’re buying is unnecessary waste and then select gifts with sustainability in mind. In the year 2011, there’s no reason not to focus on green products!
7. Chocolate is an Opportunity to Do Good for the World
There’s chocolate, and then there’s fair trade chocolate. On a holiday that’s basically centered around the idea of chocolate equating to love, there is zero excuse to not be buying fairtrade chocolate products. You’ll not only be expressing your love through the world’s finest candy ingredient, you’ll be helping developing nations establish economic viability and grow individuals out of poverty.
8. Have Sex!
There, we said it. Skip the chocolates, cards and teddy bears and just have sex. Here are some tips on having eco friendly sex!
9. Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Romantic Getaways
We don’t begrudge you your romantic weekend getaway, but there are plenty of eco-friendly, romantic retreats you can go to rather than huge carbon footprint monstrosities. If you’re in New England, we recommend this gem. There are, however, plenty of others. Go Eco Travel style for your weekend getaway.
10. Three Words Go a Long Way!
Above all, the best Valentine’s gift that you can give doesn’t require you to generate any waste at all. It’s simply saying “I love you.” Now, if you did that while holding a boombox (powered by rechargeable batteries only) over your head while it played “In Your Eyes,” that would be even better!
Content Provided by Tiny Green Bubble: TGB is your source for information about how to go green, with environmental news andgreen living tips updated daily. Tiny Green Bubble is the online destination of anyone who is interested in living green, living fair, and living aware – but still living fun. It’s about good content that is easy to digest, interesting trends, and easy ways to incorporate social awareness into your everyday modern life.
This article comes to us from our friends at ecomii (article by Anna Clark). This Valentine’s Day spoil your loved one without spoiling the planet. The Rainforest Alliance has just released their Green Guide to the perfect Valentine’s Day. Conscientious consumers can use this handy guide to find gifts and activities that help to protect the environment and the rights and wellbeing of workers around the globe.
