From Guest Blogger Izzie: How to Buy Greener Valentine’s Day Gifts

It’s difficult to find a way to stay carbon neutral when the romantic season comes upon us. You don’t want to disappoint the love of your life even if you really do have plans to save the planet and live more sustainably. The truth is that Valentine’s Day gets us spending billions each year and most of it is going on very un-green products, from chocolates to cards, and even that special set of underwear, tradition bids us to buy in ever greater quantities.

So if you are truly trying to cut down on your carbon footprint this February 14^th, then here are some tips from the Renewable Energy Hub to help you out.

Make a Pledge

There are plenty of environmentally and, frankly, cheaper ways to express love for your life partner or significant other. You don’t have to buy cards, and you don’t have to get presents. An intimate dinner for two at home can be just as beautiful as a stack load of cuddly toys and heart shaped chocolate boxes. Discuss it beforehand and make a pledge, together, to be a little bit greener this Valentine’s and just enjoy each other’s company.

Cards, Cards, Cards

Did you know that in the US alone people will buy around 150 million Valentine’s Day cards this Feb 14^th? Okay so it’s a sentimental thing and we all want to be lovey dovey if we are in a relationship but if you think about the impact on the environment then perhaps you might be a little more reticent.

If you put together the damage done to the environment in producing those cards and add in the carbon cost of transporting them to the shops and delivering to homes, then perhaps it’s time we all took a deep breath and tried something new. If you want to reduce your impact on the environment but still want to send a sweet message then try a personalised ecard instead.

According to New Republic: “The difference between the carbon footprints of a paper greeting card and an emailed card vary hugely. One estimate claims that making and transporting the average paper holiday card produces about 18.5 grams of carbon dioxide, roughly 600 times the 0.03 grams that it says is generated by the average email.”

Choose Green Gifts

If you have to buy each other a present for that special day then try to pick a retailer that has green credentials. A whole industry has grown up around sustainability and having organic credentials which means you can find everything from underwear, chocolates and cuddly toys to lotions and potions that have been produced in an environmentally friendly way.

Protect the Planet produces gifts for all occasions which range from under a fiver to over £30, stocking a large range of eco-friendly brands such as Big Hug, Lucky Bird and What Daisy Did.
Recycling is the name of the game for eco-friendly UK company Natural Selection which offers a range of organic and free trade fashion items and jewellery to suit all tastes.
If you want to get your loved one some creams, potions or cosmetics that have been organically sourced then try a company like So Organic.

Ethical Chocolate

Okay, there’s a problem with chocolate manufacturing across the globe with some very unethical practices going on, from child labour and less than carbon friendly manufacturing processes to environmental destruction. So if you want to buy your loved one some chocolate for this Valentine’s Day then make sure you get them from an ethical source.

Green and Blacks have been producing ethical products since 1994 and are one of the big players in the chocolate market today. They are an organic brand and source their supplies responsibly with strict controls on the treatment of workers and the quality of the product.
UK company Divine produces a range of excellent chocolates all sourced ethically and with producers getting a share of the profits.
A little more on the expensive side but no less tasty, new player Chocolala sources as close to home as possible in Yorkshire and the chocolates come in reusable metal tins.

Buy Something Different

Whilst your Valentine’s Day gift traditionally needs to be something romantic, that doesn’t mean you have to forgo presents that are more useful. There are a range of eco-friendly gadgets that work off the power of the sun which may bring a smile to your loved one’s face more than a box of chocolates.

Visit Nigel’s Eco Store for a range of solar charges, lights and wind up Mp3 players. If that doesn’t float your eco-friendly boat then you can adopt a bee-hive for your nearest and dearest and help boost our countryside.
And if you want to combine fashion with a solar powered phone charger then how about his interesting solar bikini featured on Discovery News.

Whatever you choose to give your loved one this Valentine’s Day, if we all pay just a little more attention to the green credentials of the companies we are buying from we can go a long way to reducing our collective carbon footprint on February 14^th.