A zero waste valentines day <3
Valentines day is a public holiday you either love or you hate. I personally love it but find it such a wasteful day with the amount of confetti, cards and gifts that end up in the bin. As valentines day is fast approaching, I have decided to put together a list of alternative gifts and cheap activities you and your valentine can do to make your day as less wasteful as possible. Enjoy xx
Zero waste alternatives
Valentines cards:
- E-cards
The average person buys around 30 cards a year and in the USA, UK and Australia together purchase 10 billion cards annually. To produce this significant number of greeting cards EXCLUDING the envelope, 78,000 tonnes of paper is needed which is equivalent to 312,000 trees!! Then add the inks, dyes and glues, postage and fuel from transport. Most cards nowadays also contain unsustainable and environmentally harmful substances such as glitter which end up in our oceans and prevents any card from being recycled. I have started to use this gorgeous E-card website to send handrawn animated cards to family and friends on all occassions! Free ecards
- Homemade
If you prefer to give hand written cards, make them out of recycled materials and make them personal to the receiver. They will greatly appreciate the effort you have made. Avoid using materials such as glitter as they are bad for the environment and will prevent any cards from being recycled.
Gift wrap
- Fabric wrap
Statistics show that brits use enough wrapping paper every christmas to go around the Earth 22 times! That doesn't even include the paper used for birthdays or valentines day! An easy way of wrapping up gifts without wasting paper and cutting down trees is to use fabric. I cut up old tshirts that aren't suitable for the charity shop and also shop at fabric stores and secondhand stores for large scarves and materials suitable for large gifts. There is no need for tape or string... just tie the corners together and it's done!
- Newspaper and brown parcel paper
You can also use old papers to wrap your gifts in. Just wrap up the gift and tie with some twine or string for a classic look. All of these materials can be composted leaving you with no waste.
Gifts for the aspiring zero waster
- Flowers
Buy flowers from your local florist and you can avoid plastic by asking them to only wrap your flowers in paper. Not only will you avoid the waste but you will also be supporting local businesses.
- Beauty products
For zero waste beauty products I really recommend lush as they sell a lot of unpackaged products such as shampoo, conditioner and soaps. They also sell moisturizers and makeup in pots which can be taken back into the store to be recycled. If you send back 5 full sized pots you get a free face mask... WIN!
Links to their products below:
- Zero waste equipment
Help those wanting to go plastic free by buying them alternatives such as:
Mason jars - Take a look in your local charity shops or thrift stores.
Wax wraps - An reusable alternative to cling film that keeps food fresh.
Klean kanteen water bottle - To prevent having to buy single use plastic water bottles on the go.
Plastic free starter kits - Specially designed kits for an easy zero waste transition.
Experiences
Sometimes it is nicer to recieve an experience rather than a physical gift if you are trying to be more minimalistic or simply don't enjoy gift giving. There are endless opportunities to choose from and you can even make them low budget or even cost nothing at all. Here are a few ideas:
* Make your valentine breakfast in bed
* Cook dinner together (saves money!)
* Go for a bike ride
* Star gazing
* Beach walking/beach cleaning
* Visit local museums
* Bake cakes - Here is my favourite recipe
* Stay in and watch movies
* Go hiking
* Make pizza ( from scratch of course)
* Cinema date
* Venture out for a coffee at your favourite cafe
* Explore your city/town and find new places
* Browse your local libary
* Visit the local farmers markets or fruit farms
* Charity shop spree
* Make most of your memberships - National Trust, English Heritage etc.
* Geocaching
* Volunteer
* Games night
