According to the NRF, the top three gifts people will buy for Valentine’s Day are chocolates, jewelry and flowers.
Unfortunately, much of the options you see at the bigger stores nearby are not the most sustainable. Boxes of chocolate often come in mixed material packaging that can’t be recycled, a lot of jewelry is not sustainably or ethically made and flowers (especially roses) can be shipped across the world just for the holiday.
Above, you’ll find some sustainable options that would make great gifts for loved ones, friends, or for yourself (everyone celebrated Valentine’s Day differently)!
Say When Wine, a small sustainable wine label by Rachel and Michel, a couple based here California.
Flowers by Fibers & Florals, a sustainable florist here in east LA.
My personal favorite small batch chocolate, Dandelion. Their packaging is plastic-free and recyclable.
My favorite vintage jewelry brand, Danica Stamenic.
Sustainable lingerie brand Botanica Workshop. Here are some other great options as well: Arq, Knickey, Hara the Label, Wear Proclaim, Jonesy, and Pansy Co.
A relaxing, detoxing face mask by Lesse.
All About Love by Bell Hooks.
“All About Love offers radical new ways to think about love by showing its interconnectedness in our private and public lives. In eleven concise chapters, hooks explains how our everyday notions of what it means to give and receive love often fail us, and how these ideals are established in early childhood. She offers a rethinking of self-love (without narcissism) that will bring peace and compassion to our personal and professional lives, and asserts the place of love to end struggles between individuals, in communities, and among societies. Moving from the cultural to the intimate, hooks notes the ties between love and loss and challenges the prevailing notion that romantic love is the most important love of all.”
Jojoba oil-based massage candle by Maude.
Nourishing & Calming bath drops by Fur.
Handmade ceramic capsule by bX Ceramics.
Masha Love Tea (organic skullcap, organic roses, organic fennel, wild harvested western red cedar).
Around a billion valentines are sent each year globally, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
If you're planning on purchasing a card this year, look for FSC-certified paper or make your own with what you have at home!
If you’re going to buy flowers, try to find local flowers instead of roses. About 100 million roses are grown annually for Valentine’s Day in the US. This produces ~9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
On top of that, roses are generally grown in warmer climates (such as South America), so they have to be flown all over the world to reach the shops nearby. On top of that, roses have to be stored in the cold, so they are refrigerated from the moment they are picked until you buy them.
I wanted to share some sustainable ideas for those of you that like to do something special on Valentine’s Day, whether it be for your partner, a friend or yourself.
Run them a bath. Light a candle and pour in some relaxing epsom salts.
Make a meal or take a cooking class together. Restaurants are often super hectic (although there’s nothing wrong with visiting your favorite spot). Pour a glass of wine and spend some time one-on-one making something delicious.
If you’re going to buy flowers, buy them locally. Another great idea is to buy a potted plant that you can keep for more than just a few days.
Breakfast in bed — Make them their favorite breakfast and pair it with coffee or tea.
Go on a mini road trip together. You can even play tourist in your own town and find something you’ve never done before, or go on a hike!
Instead of going out and buying a card, make something at home with what you already have.