Valentine’s Day is a chance to celebrate love and caring for one another. This year, give a gift that cares for the environment too. From personalised bakes to sustainable jewellery, there’s something for everyone.
Experience days
Gift a memorable experience you and a loved one can share together that celebrates their interests.
Cocktail masterclasses, cookery or bread-making courses all teach useful skills. Spend an instructive day as a zookeeper, learning about animals and their environment. You could even give the gift of knowledge, with practical lessons on altering and fixing clothes or handiwork such as carpentry.
Natural candles
Create a romantic, relaxing atmosphere without compromising on sustainability. Available in scents and colours as varied as the natural world that inspires them, candles are an excellent eco-friendly gift.
Soy wax is a renewable resource that produces less soot when burning, making it more environmentally friendly than paraffin.
Beeswax can be a by-product from processing honey. Creating candles from it reduces waste, while making use of a natural resource.
Once the original candle burns out, refill the containers or repurpose them to house succulents and other houseplants. Those in metal, glass, or ceramic are more sustainable, and more likely to be kept and upcycled than plastic.
Sustainable beauty and pampering
Self-care products provide an opportunity to unwind, making them a welcome gift for busy individuals.
Sustainable beauty products allow people to look and feel good without negatively impacting the environment. However, mass-produced, synthetic products are often bolstered with cheap ingredients, allowing them to be sold at lower prices.
Most ethical make up and hygiene products use only natural ingredients. Although this means they can be more expensive, it makes them generous gifts to give.
Natural, low-waste cosmetics
If your partner wears makeup, those sold in refillable natural fibre containers are better for the planet than plastic packaging.
Many sustainably packaged facial cosmetics use non-toxic, organic formulas. Not only are these more environmentally friendly; they can also be kinder to skin. This is especially important for those with allergies or sensitive skin.
Traditional-style mascara, blush, and lip colour palettes, made from metal or wood, can be used with reusable brushes to reduce waste. Products like lip and cheek tints also have multiple uses, which helps encourage a low-waste beauty regime.
Zero-plastic hygiene products
People often struggle to reduce their plastic waste, when it comes to bathroom toiletries.
Soap bars, usually sold wrapped in linen or recyclable cardboard or paper, are less wasteful than liquid soaps in plastic bottles.
Similarly, luxurious moisturisers and facial creams can be found in bar form or in refillable glass or metal bottles.
In addition, indulgent handmade soaps from artisan sellers are often made with natural ingredients. These are kinder to the skin and our waterways.
Plastic-free Valentine’s flowers
Instead of overpriced cut flowers, farmed unsustainably and wrapped in non-recyclable plastic, consider gifting a potted plant.
Living plants can be enjoyed for years, instead of blooming and dying in a matter of weeks.
Natural fibre clothing
Synthetic fibres can be weak. This results in low-quality clothing that sheds microplastics when subjected to friction and when being washed, creating environmental pollution.
Natural fibres are more durable. This means less clothing needs to be produced and discarded. If they do wear out, natural materials are biodegradable: they won’t pollute the environment, unlike plastic-based alternatives.
If possible, repurpose damaged garments. Fabric can be converted into pampering eye masks, protective hair bonnets, or reusable face cloths.
Ethical jewellery
When buying jewellery, consider:
- the ethical factors surrounding worker’s rights
- mining for resources
- the environmental impact of transportation.
Some ethical jewellery uses recycled metals and stones, to preserve depleting resources and reduce the need for expansion of existing mines. Others may include upcycled materials such as vintage buttons or coins, creating unique, stylised pieces.
Personalised accessories
Create custom friendship bracelets from scraps of fabric saved from damaged linens or clothes. You can weave or knit larger pieces to make fashionable scarves, pocket squares, and ascots – for those with discerning or sartorial dress sense.
Sustainable chocolate
Upgrade your eco-credentials this year by choosing chocolate certified as organic or ethically produced. Organic ingredients mean no harmful chemical fertilisers or pesticides were introduced to the environment, protecting biodiversity and insect numbers.
The FAIRTRADE Mark and Rainforest Alliance stamps certify that workers and growers were fairly compensated for their contribution, and growing practices were not environmentally damaging.
Plan a romantic date
Scrap the waste that placeholder gifts and wrapping create by planning an indoor picnic on eco-friendly plates and cutlery, or a pampering spa night using sustainable beauty products.
Planning the details allows you to make ethical choices – from location, to activity, to the menu. Build the perfect snack platter, or put on a special low-waste movie night to enjoy together.
Make a home-cooked meal
The effort put into cooking a sustainable meal or baking treats can mean more than a pricey gift.
If a candlelit dinner is an option, embrace the theme and incorporate Valentine’s decorations with colourful heart-shaped cocktail sticks or drinks garnished with compostable heart skewers.
Eco-friendly ideas for all occasions
Refresh your celebrations by browsing our sustainable catering options and be inspired to put together fresh ideas that make parties more eco-friendly.
Whether it’s just a romantic moment for the two of you, or a fun themed gathering for single friends, our compostable tableware can perfectly complement the occasion while reducing waste and hassle.