Sustainable Valentine’s Day Ideas

Valentine’s Day should not be about store-bought cards, chocolates shipped halfway across the world, and hot-house flowers. It should be about simply spending some quality time with the one you love.

Sustainable Valentine’s Day date ideas are often those which allow you to reject things in favour of experiences. Whether you are enjoying the first flush of a new-found love, rekindling the flame, or celebrating a long-lasting connection, consider these romantic ideas:

• Enjoy DIY projects, arts and crafts and a wide range of creative projects together.
• Spend time outdoors in nature, hiking, cycling or simply enjoying beautiful views.
• Get your hearts racing with active adventures outdoors.
• Enjoy a delightful Valentine’s Day home-cooked meal, with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients.
• Set the mood with eco-friendly tableware, beeswax candles and flowers or foliage from your garden.

Of course, you may wish to give gifts. But you do not need to give gifts that come at a cost to our planet. Consider zero waste, eco-friendly or home made gifts like:

• Plants or seeds (rather than hot house or imported flowers).
• Eco-friendly soaps, or beauty products (either purchased from a sustainable company, or made at home).
• Hand-crafted upcycled gifts. (Wooden items, basketry, sewed items etc..)
• Hand-crafted natural gifts. (Knitted items, natural artworks etc..)
• Home made edible treats. (Perhaps even made from home grown produce.)

Plan ahead for a more sustainable and eco-friendly Valentine’s Day this year. Show your love not just for your nearest and dearest, but for this planet we call home. Share the love and make sure you celebrate in a way that is consistent with a greener and more ethical way of life. Whatever you buy and whatever you do, remember that it does not have to cost the earth. Connection is the most important thing, and you can be connected not just to one another, but to nature, and the wider world.