Spreading love this Valentine's Day is a great way to show your partner, your friends, and family that you care. We share some of our favourite eco-friendly Valentines gift ideas as well as some great date ideas that we love.
Red roses, yay or nay?
Who doesn’t love a bunch of red roses on Valentine's Day? There are a few ways that you can make a bunch of flowers less harmful to the planet (unfortunately a lot are imported, and come in mounds of non-recyclable packaging).
Option one, opt for a plant rather than a bunch of roses. That way the recipient can enjoy them again and again and they only have to travel once. Feeling a bit creative? Don’t feel restricted by typical roses and indulge in houseplants or some fun herbs and spices.
Really love a bunch of flowers? Check out your local florist and see if you can get your hands on flowers that are locally grown. A lot of independent florists will also be able to package your bunch in recyclable packaging such as brown paper and twine - all you have to do is ask.
Create a 15-mile menu
Looking for a way to get creative in the kitchen this Valentine’s? The stomach is the key to most people’s hearts after all.
Challenge yourself to create a menu that is low impact by setting an ingredient radius, say 15 miles.
What does that mean? Source ingredients that are grown and produced in your local area to reduce the carbon impact of your dinner. It’s a fun challenge, will allow you to explore local shops and you’ll find the food will be extra fresh and tasty. You could even create your own 15 mile cocktail using a locally produced spirit.
It will feel extra special if you cook together and will be a lot more intimate and personal than eating out, especially over Valentine’s week.
Indulge yourself
Not loved up this Valentine’s Day? We gotchu! It’s just as important to love yourself on Valentine's Day.
Treat yourself to all of your favourite things, perhaps a good book and a relaxing candle or maybe a soak in the bath, we’ve got lots of self-care items available.
Gift an experience
We love gifted experiences here at EcoVibe as they’re a great way of cutting out packaging and gift wrapping materials like non-recyclable wrapping paper and cellophane.
Some original ideas could include a cookery class, ceramic painting or something more active like laser tag or paintball, you could even try archery war or axe throwing.
Extra eco points if you manage to get there on foot, on bicycle, or via public transport. You could try a local bike, or electric scooter scheme if there’s one near you.
Make an effort with those you love
Here’s your reminder to make sure your friends and family know that you appreciate them.
Sometimes Valentine’s Day can only seem like a day for those people who are coupled up, but actually it should be a day to tell everyone you love them.
Celebrating Galentine’s? Why not treat everyone to a small token of your appreciation. You’ll realise how nice it is to treat someone, just because.
Bake with love
Whether it’s Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or just a random Thursday, baking can be a fun and creative way of showing others you care. Cupcakes, brownies or cookies, you decide!
We recently launched Find My Eco Shop which is a tool that helps our customers find local eco shops and zero waste stores. Zero waste shops can be a great way of sourcing baking ingredients, and you can buy just enough for your recipe rather than having things hanging around in your cupboard.
Time poor but looking for some simple sweet treats? Vegan truffles could be a really thoughtful gift and they take less than 30 minutes. We’ve found a delicious, simple recipe with limited ingredients on BBC Good Food.
Gifts for him
Girls seem to have all the fun on Valentine's Day with flowers and chocolates and sometimes it’s the boy that gets forgotten.
Make the man in your life feel special with a thoughtful gift. For a man who likes to stay sharp, what about a shaving gift including a deliciously scented shaving soap bar?
A thoughtful gift that will last for many Valentine’s Days to come, plus it’s equally great as a gift for yourself.
Got some extra special eco-friendly Valentine’s ideas? Let us know in the comments below! It’s a great way of sharing ideas with the whole EcoVibe community.
