If you’re like us—always keeping the wellbeing of our planet top of mind—you may be wondering how to celebrate Valentine’s Day in an eco-friendly way. Traditional Valentine’s Day gifts like jewelry, chocolates, flowers, spa dates and dinner out are all terrific options when sourced right. Want to make sure the companies you do business with love Mother Earth as much as you?
Check out five sustainable gift ideas you’ll love:
No. 1: Skip store-bought cards, make your own—then plant a tree instead.
Get this: According to Wise Geek, about 1 billion cards are sent out for Valentine’s Day every year, it comes in second as the most popular card-giving holiday, with Christmas taking top honors (2.6 billion cards annually sent). A lot of those paper cards end up in the landfill, as many cards contain glitter, plastic decorations and paper treatments that deem them unrecyclable.
Why not make a homemade card instead? Gather items you were planning to recycle anyway, like paper, magazines and other objects (twine, buttons, orphaned jewelry and the like) then get creative!
If you really want to raise the bar on eco-friendly Valentine's Day gifts, plant a tree! Even better, you and your Valentine can attend attend a tree planting event together. Organizations like Tree Canada offer several ways to get involved in tree planting initiatives, as an individual, community or business. In the US, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree in honor of your loved one in your choice of the country’s National Forests.
No. 2: Treat them to sweet treats from eco-friendly companies.
What could be sweeter than chocolate? We’re big fans of Lake Champlain Chocolates. This certified B Corp offers an array of chocolate eco-friendly gifts that will get your head spinning and mouth watering, perfect for just about every holiday.
We also love the chocolates, people and story behind the chocolatiers at Peace By Chocolate. After 30 years of crafting chocolate delicacies at their factory in Damascus, Syria, a bombing forced the Hadad family to flee to Lebanon in 2012, then to Nova Scotia in 2016, where these inspirational, new Canadian citizens have been making delicious chocolates filled with Syrian fillings and ingredients ever since. We <3 the Hadad family and their message of peace!
No. 3: Enjoy Valentine's Day at a locally owned, eco-friendly restaurant.
Unlike big chain restaurants, many local restaurants source their produce, meats and even wine from local sources that use sustainable farming methods. Here in Toronto, we like farm-to-table restaurants like the Farmhouse Tavern. These folks pay attention to where their food comes from and rely on small, local farms for their veggies, meats, eggs and dairy.
Farmhouse Tavern also only serves VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) wines that meet stringent quality assurance standards and are made from 100% Ontario grapes. Think about all the greenhouse gases emitted when those fine wines travel overseas from France...
And if you don’t live in our neighborhood, no worries. Search for sustainable and farm-to-table restaurants near you that serve local wines. You’ve got this!
No. 4: Gift your Valentine, Galentine, or self with sustainably-made baubles.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so who needs mass-produced, factory-made fashion jewelry? Not us, not you and not your valentine. If sustainable gift ideas in the jewelry category pique your interest, then consider Pyrrha.
It is the mission of this sustainably-made jewelry purveyor “to make meaningful and sustainable jewelry that fosters connection through personal storytelling.” Available in a wide range of prices and styles, Pyrrha’s lovely jewelry is sure to steal your Valentine’s heart.
No. 5: Step into relaxation with an at-home spa session.
It’s easy with an Urban Spa create-your-own gift basket loaded with our sustainable beauty products! Start at our Body Spa shop for our all-natural sea sponges, body buffers, and bath poufs designed to make skin extra soft. Then focus on the hands and feet with our tootsie-treating Foot Therapy Kit, must-have moisturizing gloves and more.
And before you check out, make sure to add a bottle of our all-natural, vegan and biodegradable Smooth & Shine Serum to your bag. This serum helps hair achieve a glossy and smooth finish—adding an extra something special to your hair washing routine.
Create the perfect customized eco-friendly gift basket that your favorite person is sure to love. Shop Urban Spa today and let us help you get all set up with the perfect Valentine's Day gift.
