Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches, which makes this the perfect time to show love for those that mean the most to you. Some express this love with tangible gifts, kind gestures, or sweet words. When it comes to showing love for our planet, however, it may not seem as straightforward, but it is possible.
What you may not know about Valentine’s Day gifts like flowers and chocolate is that, as innocent and sweet as they seem, they can also wreak havoc on the environment.
The waste becomes a problem when we dispose of flowers, paper, candy boxes, and cards. Many of these items can’t even be recycled, so most of this waste has nowhere to go except straight to landfills. However, flower and chocolate lovers need not worry. Making this Valentine’s Day a little sweeter for the environment only requires a few changes to make sure that gifts are bought with sustainability in mind.
How do you show nature some love? By carefully considering the gifts you buy. Here’s how:
Express your love and gratitude with cards made from recycled materials, or perhaps send an e-card that you know can’t get tossed in the trash.
Support locally grown flower shops. According to EarthDay.org, “Roses can travel thousands of miles — and they often do…Nearly all these flowers were imported to the U.S., often by plane. The number of Valentine’s Day flowers imported from Colombia alone jumped seven-fold between 2009 and 2015.” This means that massive numbers of flowers must be produced each year to meet the high demands. “To make matters worse, roses need to be refrigerated when shipped, and refrigerants are some of the most potent greenhouse gases.” What can you do differently? Gift a plant or even plant a tree that can live for years!
Have a chocolate lover or someone with a sweet tooth in your life? According to World Wildlife Fund, “Cocoa farmers usually clear tropical forests to plant new cocoa trees rather than reusing the same land. That practice has spurred massive deforestation in West Africa, particularly in Ivory Coast. Experts estimate that 70% of the country’s illegal deforestation is related to cocoa farming.” We don’t want to leave a bitter taste in your mouth, so one solution to consider is purchasing plant-based by sticking to dark chocolate from a sustainable, fair-trade chocolate brand.
Buying presents that will be enjoyed for a long time is another excellent way to reduce waste and show our planet some love! Consider wall art or printed family photos from a sustainably minded business that cares about the materials they use and how they are produced, like a WallBottle! Our canvas wall art is made with recycled water bottles and coating materials. The canvas is printed in the USA with UL GREENGUARD Gold Certified environmental inks and mounted on wooden frames sourced from sustainably managed forests.
No matter how you celebrate Valentine's Day, choosing to be mindful on one special day can show love for the environment that will last a lifetime.
Ready to gift custom wall art for your special Valentine? Visit our website and enjoy 40% OFF plus FREE shipping! Do you have a WallBottle canvas you love? Tell us about it! Snap, share, and tag #MyWallBottle to show off your unique fall wall art canvas and how many plastic bottles YOU have saved from ending up in our landfills, oceans, and waterways!
See what customers are saying about their custom WallBottle canvas!
