Some practical alternatives to the same old crap
Many
people believe that Valentine’s Day is a holiday made up by the card industry
just to increase consumer spending and to make single people feel bad, and
maybe they are right.
According to a
new survey by the National Retail Association, the American 2013 Valentine’s Day season is
expected to reach 18.9 billion in spending.
The survey found 51.0% of gift
givers will buy candy (1.6 billion dollars), 36.6% will give flowers (1.9
billion dollars), 19.7% will give jewelry (4.4 billion dollars), 15.6% will buy
clothing (1.6 billion dollars), and 15.0% will buy gift cards (1.5 billion
dollars).
Store Bought Cards
As
romantic as a card that sings Justin Beiber’s “Baby” when opened is, what are
the chances that the card won’t end up in the trash after a week? According to
Hallmark, over 151 million store
bought cards are exchanged every year for Valentine’s Day. That’s a lot of
cards and subsequently a lot of trees go into making those cards.
Instead Try:
Try
making your own card out of recyclable materials or leftover objects found
around the house. If you are not the creative type a paper free idea is to send
an e-card. If you still want to buy a store bought cards, look for products
made from recycled materials.
Store Bought Chocolate
Chocolate can
also have a nasty environmental impact. Not only does the crop cocoa requires the
second largest use of pesticides, but store bought chocolates come with a ridiculous
amount packaging and preservatives.
Instead Try:
There
are many brands of luxury bars that are either fair trade or organic. Another
option without excess packaging is to go to your nearest candy shop and pick up
some home-made fudge or chocolates.
Roses
Roses
may smell sweet but the practices that go into them are not. For most of the
United States Valentine’s Day takes place during the winter which means it’s
not a hospitable habitat for growing flowers. This means the flowers have
to be flown in from
greenhouses from as far away as Ecuador. Also, the growing of greenhouse roses
can rely heavily on pesticides, which have been linked to birth defects among
greenhouse workers children.
Instead Try:
If
you still want to buy a bouquet of roses but want to reduce your footprint
buy organic or local grown flowers. An even more
romantic gesture would be to plant your own rose bush for your backyard to
represent your love blooming eternally.
Jewelry
We’ve
been told that diamonds are a girl’s best friend and that every kiss begins
with Kaye, but what goes into making bling? To produce 1 oz
of gold requires 20 tons of waste rock and can create Acidic Mine Drainage
which is harmful to the environment. Diamond mining is also extremely
destructive to the environment, not to mention blood diamonds and other ethical
issues attached to mining diamonds and gems.
Instead Try:
There
are many eco-responsible
options if you want to buy
jewelry for Valentine’s Day. One option is to buy jewelry that is fair trade.
Another option is to buy jewelry made from recycled metals or re used stones. A
fun option would be to buy a vintage piece brought from an antique or vintage
shop.
Remember,
Valentine’s Day is about having fun and showing the people you love how you
care about them.
For
more Green Valentines Suggestions check out these pages by the Sierra Club or
check out ENN’s past article on green dating:
