Where the flowers have come from may not be your first thought when looking for that Valentine’s day gift, or how far your food has travelled when cooking that romantic dinner, but these choices can leave a big impact on the environment.
So why not take the opportunity this Valentine’s Day to ‘Go-Green’ and show a bit of love not just to your partner but the Earth too with our handy hints and tips below!
Cards
Nothing says Valentine’s Day like a soppy card declaring your love, but did you know there are ‘greener’ ways of doing this?
When you’re looking for that card for that special someone, consider a card that has been made of recycled materials or, if you’re feeling really creative, make your own!
Whatever card you do decide to send always check for the FSC tree symbol on the back to show the card has been sourced from sustainable forests.
Dinner
Cooking a romantic dinner? Or perhaps going out for a candle lit meal? You may not have thought about the journey that food has taken to get to your plate, but it’s a journey that can take its toll on the planet, from the farming and fishing to the transport to the restaurant or your local supermarket. So this Valentine’s Day why not cook your own candle lit dinner with ingredients sourced locally? It will reduce your carbon footprint and help your local economy!
Flowers
Say it with roses…or how about a different kind of flower this Valentine’s day? When you’re looking for that perfect bunch of flowers, this year take the opportunity to move away from the disposable cut flowers and try a nice plant instead. Often cut flowers have been imported and to keep up with demand the flowers will normally be grown and treated with a number of different herbicides and pesticides which are damaging to the environment.
Don’t fret however, there are a lot of florists and shops out there that sell lovely potted (long lasting!) plants or, if you really want that bouquet, locally grown flowers that have been grown responsibly. A quick search and you are sure to find those special flowers for that special someone!
Chocolate
When you are buying that box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day show that you care even more and not just about who you are giving them to, by buying fairtrade chocolate. By choosing Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate you will be making sure that those who have grown the cocoa beans are getting a fair price and the cocoa beans are being grown responsibly.
If you want to go that extra mile by reducing the chocolates miles, try making your own Fairtrade chocolates for that personal touch!
Wine
A sweet Sparkling…a smooth Merlot...whatever your choice of wine, why not make it an organic one this Valentine’s day? By choosing Organic it means the grapes used to make the wine will have been grown without the need for herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals that can harm the environment. Organic wines are easy to find too with many different varieties available in your local supermarket.
If you want to cut the air miles of the wine, why not try a local winery or brewery? The less miles the wine has travelled the lower the carbon footprint and with a quick search online you will be sure to find one that meets your taste!
Don’t Stop There!
The ideas don’t have to end here! There are many more ways you can be more ‘green’ this Valentine’s Day so why not get creative? Whatever special plans you are making make sure you are showing your love not just for them but for the planet too!