Tuesday, Feb. 07, 2012

Trim down Valentine’s waste by going green

Jennifer Sellers.

 

I am not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. But it’s not the idea of love that bothers me. It’s the amount of imported waste from this over-consumerist holiday.

To me, Valentine’s Day is simply another excuse to buy gifts, candies and greeting cards that have tons of unnecessary packaging. Stores line their shelves with hundreds of heart-shaped boxes, cuddly stuffed animals and romantic knick-knacks – most of which are mass-produced overseas and then tossed aside in a donation box when the token wears off.

Every year, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold and about a billion Valentines are sent globally. The average consumer spends about $100 on Valentine’s Day, totaling $14 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Then there are the infamous roses. More than 198 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day every year, but did you know that some of those roses come to us from as far as Ecuador or Colombia?

If you do plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, think about your consumer choices and your environmental impacts. Every purchase you make sends a message to that company that says, “I want that” and this encourages that company to produce more. So please carefully consider your purchases and try to act locally. This may seem like a big challenge, so I wanted to give you some simple green ideas to help you this Valentine’s Day:

Real local flowers or plants - Find your green thumb in a true green gift for your Valentine. If the flowers are cut, try composting them in your backyard when they wilt.

Eat in – Save yourself from crowds or worrying about reservations and eat in with your Valentine. Cooking the meal together could be a romantic way to spend the evening. You also will save on the cost to drive there too.

Local sweets – If you must go the route of sweets, look to buy those made in the USA, but fair trade and/or organic products are green choices, too. For those that can bake, make your own.

Homemade or handmade cards and gifts – If you are crafty, create your Valentine a homemade card or gift. It will mean so much more than the traditional commercial products. You can also purchase handmade gifts at a local shop or online at Esty.com, where you can plug in your location to find gifts nearest to you.

Double-date – Save some gas and maybe the bill and double-up on your Valentine’s date with another couple or a group of friends to go out. Split the costs of your meal and share a ride there.

Handwritten letter – This may seem to be a thing of the past, but it should be brought back. Words from the heart will mean more than any mass-printed, impersonal greeting card. I highly recommend handwriting the letter, not texting, Facebooking or Tweeting.

Quality time – Our world is busy and most of us claim to have no time. But there is no greater gift than spending quality time with someone. Make this Valentine’s Day worth the extra time and spend it with your loved ones.

This year, localize your Valentine’s Day and some other holidays. I want to hear from you and how you added some green to your Valentine’s, so drop me a line at the e-mail address printed below.

Jennifer Sellers is the sustainability coordinator at Coastal Carolina University and offers her eco-views at her blog, mygreenglasses.com. Contact her at jen@mygreenglasses.com.