Valentine’s Day is the second most popular event for sending greeting cards after Christmas, with approximately one billion cards being sent on the occasion. Plastic materials, glitter finishes, and other embellishments are frequently used on these cards, rendering them unusable for recycling. Giving chocolate as a holiday gift has become commonplace, yet the majority of that chocolate is sourced in an unethical manner. When you factor in all of the other disposable gifts, like balloons, stuffed animals, and decorations, Valentine’s Day may be extremely harmful to the environment. However, this does not have to be the case!
February 14th is a day dedicated to celebrating love, and whether it is love for a romantic partner, a close friend, or a family member, Valentine’s Day is an excellent opportunity to let others know you care about them. There are numerous ways to accomplish this in a sustainable, ethical, and Earth-friendly manner. Here are some suggestions for Valentine’s Day gifts that are environmentally friendly:
Purchase A Long-Lasting Gift
By using your listening and observing abilities to pick something that the recipient genuinely needs, you can purchase a long-lasting gift that they will cherish for years to come. It could be a piece of art, a mug, or a super cute Valentine’s Day sweatshirt.
Fair Trade Chocolate
Chocolate typically comes at a high social and environmental cost that is considerably beyond its actual cost. It is the chocolate industry that is primarily responsible for widespread economic inequality, child labor, forced labor, and deforestation in the developing world. In order to purchase chocolate that has been ethically sourced, look for the Fair Trade label.
Buy Ethical Jewelry
It is vital to purchase jewelry from a company that can trace its mining procedures for precious stones and metals in order to verify that the materials are sourced ethically and responsibly. Consider purchasing from a company that assures that the stones used in their products were cut by personnel who were properly outfitted for the job with protective equipment. In addition, jewelry making frequently employs harmful ingredients and generates toxic waste. it is critical to ensure that you are purchasing from jewelry companies that make every effort to have ethical and transparent sourcing and manufacturing practices.
Make an Upcycled Valentine’s Day Card
If you are going to give your loved one a card, either make it yourself using recyclable materials or get one from a small business that is recyclable and Fair Trade certified.
Give the Gift of Experience
Spend quality time with your partner by preparing their favorite meal, watching their favorite movie with them, enrolling in a class together, such as cooking or photography, setting aside time to paint, and so on. Another option is to write a poem or perform a song for your Valentine, create a film about all of your finest times together, get their friends to contribute to a list of their favorite memories with them or write down all of their best attributes and all of the things you admire about them.
As a final step, consider honoring love rather than consumerism this Valentine’s Day. If you do plan to shop, look for items from local businesses and companies that adhere to ethical business methods as opposed to mass-produced items.
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