Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be all pink and red – it can be green, too! During this season of romance, give the gift of love to the person who makes your heart melt, and to the planet as well! Check out our ultimate gift guide for a low-waste Valentine’s Day.
Why celebrate a low-waste Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day produces all kinds of waste. According to Waste 360, the United States alone generates…
- 36 million heart-shaped boxes
- 180 million cards
- 198 million roses
- 881 million champagne bottles
- 58 million tons of chocolates
… which in terms of carbon emissions is the equivalent of 3,993 car trips around the Earth1! Does this mean we should cancel the annual celebrations? Of course not! However, we encourage enjoying a low-waste Valentine’s Day by replacing gifts that have plastic packaging with simple and eco-friendly surprises that will please the people you want to spoil just as much (if not more so!).
Have you heard of a Green Valentine?
It’s a trend that was introduced in 2021 in an attempt to reduce the pollution generated by Valentine’s Day while at the same time keeping Cupid’s spirit alive. The idea is to encourage consumers to make their own gifts or to opt for eco-conscious brands and products2.
5 gift ideas for a low-waste Valentine’s Day
1. A fun night out
The best gifts are always the times we spend together. Give your significant other an extraordinary experience by taking them to see a show or a play, a candlelight concert, or a comedy show… partake in an escape game, go to a speakeasy or any other event happening near you.
Make the evening even more Zen and green by taking public transportation to get to your destination. That way there’ll be no parking headaches and plenty of time to gaze into each other’s eyes!
2. Plastic-free skincare
Here’s a gift idea you might want to buy not one of, but two! You and your Valentine can each enjoy new Oceanly™ plastic-free skincare. It’s so gentle and smart, everyone is falling in love with it.
Formulated with clean ingredients according to EWG, Oceanly™ skincare is vegan, cruelty-free and packaged in FSC biodegradable cardboard tubes from eco-managed forests. It’s Blue Beauty at its finest! Among the variety of products offered – pro-aging, purifying, mattifying, dull skin, oily skin, sensitive skin and more – you’ll find everything needed to pamper the face you love so much.
Beauty tip
Undecided about which product to choose? The radiant skin ritual is ideal for all skin types. It reveals a radiant, healthy complexion, even, yes, in the middle of February.
3. A potted plant
Ditch the bouquet of flowers for a (real) potted plant. It will live longer – just like your passion for your significant other! – and act as a purifier, which is especially handy during winter months as indoor air tends to be more polluted than outdoor air3. Plants such as Sansevierias, aloes or ZZ plants are particularly easy to care for.
4. Homemade candles
Why not revisit your childhood and craft your own low-waste Valentine’s Day gifts? To be clear, we’re not suggesting papier-mâché hearts here. Rather, homemade candles to create a romantic atmosphere for your dinner for two or your movie night. All you need is soy wax, a wick, essential oils, and a mason jar or any other pretty glass container.
5. Bath essentials
No gift guide would be complete without a body care recommendation. Here is the perfect set to pamper your soul mate from head to toe. Plastic free and made with worry-free ingredients, it features five essential beauty bars that are infused with delicate, soothing aromas: hydrating shampoo and conditioner, baking soda-free deodorant, body soap and body butter.
For even more beauty bars (for a moment of self-care, perhaps?), check out the eco-innovative leaves bar™ collection.
Go from red to green, without compromising
Every year, more than eight million tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans4. Not so romantic, is it? By celebrating a low-waste Valentine’s Day, you’ll delight your loved one while at the same time reducing your environmental footprint.
And if you didn’t find what you were looking for in our gift guide, feel free to browse through all our collections! Our products are made with love… for you… and for the planet.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
- https://www.waste360.com/resources/environmental-impact-valentines-day
- https://waste4change.com/blog/celebrate-green-valentine-an-eco-friendly-choice-for-valentines-day/
- https://www.franciscanhealth.org/community/blog/winter-makes-indoor-air-quality-worse
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution#:~:text=Every%20year%2C%20about%208%20million,of%20coastline%20around%20the%20world