Zero Waste Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day should be about celebrating love, whether romantic or platonic, for the people who matter most. Instead, it has morphed into a holiday that is more about consumerism and consumption than genuine connection. With all that consumption comes a lot of unnecessary waste, from plastic-wrapped candies and cheap trinkets, to the environmental and ethical toll of chocolates and cut flowers. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how to enjoy a fun, romantic, and (almost) zero waste Valentine’s Day!
Zero Waste Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids
If you have kids in school, you have likely experienced the panic of heading to the dollar store to get last minute Valentine’s for the classroom exchange. Inevitably, your child returns home with a bag full of plastic-wrapped candy and cheap toys destined for the landfill. While we all mean well, with a little planning and intention, we can teach our children to love the planet too with these eco-friendly alternatives:
DIY Alternatives
A handwritten note to your child is more meaningful than a store-bought card and makes a wonderful keepsake. For the classroom, get crafty with upcycled materials like old magazines, scrap paper, or even last year’s holiday cards cut into heart shapes. I keep a Pinterest board of ideas to try every year!
Seed Paper Hearts
Instead of traditional cards, opt for seed paper hearts that kids can plant and watch grow into wildflowers or herbs. When making seed paper, it’s important to use seeds from local wildflowers to support native pollinators and prevent the spread of invasive species.
Class Craft Party
Suggest a craft party instead of a valentines exchange in your child’s classroom – and of course, volunteer if you can! Kids can make DIY valentines using scrap paper, make friendship bracelets, or nature-inspired art from found objects. It’s a fun, creative, and eco-friendly way to celebrate while keeping waste to a minimum!
Homemade Goodies
If your child’s school allows it, homemade cookies, heart-shaped marshmallow treats, or granola bars in compostable parchment paper make a delicious and waste-free alternative to plastic-wrapped sweets! Baking with your child is a wonderful way to spend quality time together while you make goodies for others.
Bulk Treats
Bring your own containers to your local bulk store and fill them with package-free treats – everything from cinnamon hearts to fancy pretzels, candy, and of course, chocolates! Bundle up your treats in reusable or recyclable containers – jars, small cardboard boxes, paper bags, or cloth bags.
Sustainable Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Flowers and chocolates are traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, but what you may not know is that they often come with hidden environmental and ethical costs. Don’t worry! You don’t have to give up the romance (or the snacks) to keep things sustainable.
Chocolate’s Dark Side
Conventional chocolate production has serious ethical and environmental concerns, including deforestation, harmful labour practices, and unfair prices paid to cocoa farmers.
For a more sustainable choice, look for organic, Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified chocolate, which ensures better wages for farmers and more sustainable growing practices. My personal favourite is the sea salt bar from Galerie au Chocolat.
Flowers Can Be Thorny
Fresh-cut flowers (especially roses) may seem like a romantic gesture, but they come with a heavy carbon footprint. In addition to extensive water and pesticide use, most are imported by air (requiring refrigeration) before being trucked to their destinations, emitting approximately 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Instead, consider sustainable alternatives such as in-season bouquets from local florists, dried flowers, potted herbs such as lavender or rosemary, or seed packets of native wildflowers or native wildflowers.
Other Sustainable Gift Ideas
Of course presence is the best present, but if gifts are your love language, here are some thoughtful, eco-friendly suggestions:
- Experiences vs Things: Cook a fancy mean, plan a picnic, visit a museum, or take a class together.
- DIY Gifts: Make bath salts, knit a scarf, make salt dough hearts, or write heartfelt note in a handmade card.
- Go Thrifting: Keep your eyes open for vintage books, antique jewellery, or a secondhand puzzle you can do together.
- Get Outside: Head out for a romantic walk, go ice skating, or simply enjoy a fancy hot chocolate on the porch.
And of course, opt for sustainable wrapping options like cloth or plain paper!
By making small swaps and being mindful of what we buy (or don’t buy), we can celebrate our loved ones and show our love for the planet too.
What are your favourite zero waste Valentine’s Day traditions? Let me know in the comments!
