Call me the Valentine’s Day Grinch if you like, but the cheesy teddy bears, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and ridiculously expensive bouquets of roses get to me. Why not make this Valentine’s Day more meaningful, think outside of the box a little and show some affection for your loved ones and the planet, too?
Spending a lazy Sundays relaxing can be awesome, but consider volunteering for a local green organization as one of your Valentine’s Day activities this year. Craigslist and Idealist are just two websites you can check to see what volunteer opportunities are going on in your neighborhood that day.
Okay, okay, maybe you want to keep some Valentine’s Day traditions. With a little tweaking, you can honor them and still be eco-friendly.
Making your gift, instead of simply picking something up at a store, is a really thoughtful gesture. It can also be a lot greener. If you’re feeling crafty, the blog How About Orange can show you how to make business card holders, coasters, baskets and other things from old magazines and newspapers. With How About Orange’s help, you can even make a bow out of magazine pages to top off your present. Even if you don’t consider yourself artistically inclined, you can surely make a card with materials you already have on hand at home. Globally, people send around a billion valentines a year—that’s a lot of paper! Got some time before February 14? Go the extra step and make your own recycled paper for your card.
Something else you can make to celebrate the occasion is dinner. If possible, opt for ingredients that are organic and locally grown. It might be easier to first take stock of what organic and locally grown products are available at your market this time of year, and then figure out what you can make from those ingredients. Not much of a cook? Dine an local eatery that uses organic and local ingredients.
Most cut flowers in the United States, about 60 to 80 percent, are imported, and up to 90 percent of Valentine’s Day roses come from Colombia and Ecuador. The amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the process of freighting flowers is damaging, not to mention the pesticides used on the flowers to keep them looking perky. If flowers are a Valentine’s Day must-have for you or your sweetheart, opt for organic-certified flowers, or check out a nearby nursery to see if they’ve got any locally-grown flowering potted plants.
Trust me, I’ve got nothing against chocolate. As is the case with flowers, go organic. Planet Green offers some chocolate recommendations from companies that use sustainable growing practices. A local chocolatier, if you’re lucky to have one or more in your area, is also a good bet.
This Valentine’s Day, be sweet to your loved ones and the planet. Your efforts will definitely be appreciated!
Source: BecauseAction.com
