Valentine’s day is right around the corner, and with that comes a wave of Valentine-themed gifts to show your appreciation to the ones you love. According to treehugger.com, $1.7 billion is spent on candy and $2.1 billion will be spent on flowers alone. Shopping is a big chunk of the waste that happens on Valentine’s Day but it doesn’t have to be.

Unfortunately, many of the gifts bought can end up in the landfill quicker than we would hope. It can be especially harmful to the environment as many of these gifts contain non-recyclable materials that will take years to break down. That being the case, Recyclops has put together this gift guide aimed at making your 2022 valentines day a little more sustainable.

Additionally, these boxes also often have to be shipped from far distances around the world. This creates a higher carbon footprint depending on your location. Baking is a cathartic and delicious activity that you can do with your loved one as an alternative. This is a fantastic way to live more sustainably and the memories you make will last much longer.

According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, the shipment of flowers results in an estimated 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. Additionally, the process of shipping these flowers uses an average of 114 million liters of fuel annually.

Plastic and paper cards are used for so many holidays throughout the year, as well as birthdays. On average, Americans purchase about 7 billion greeting cards every year. That equals about 140,000 tons of paper being discarded. Assuming that about 30% of holiday cards are made from recycled paper, that represents about 2.5 million trees cut down each year. In most cases, these paper cards contain multiple other plastic materials making the recycling process harder, resulting in material being discarded into the landfills.

You can also try purchasing plantable cards. These cards allow you to plant the cards into the soil to grow a type of flower or plant. This is a fantastic alternative for those looking to have a card with a longer life of value.

Check out these plantable cards here.

A great way to do this is by making a picnic in your loved one’s favorite park or by their favorite view. Need some cooking inspiration? Try sticking to a vegetarian pasta dish or vegetarian soup and salad to cut down your carbon footprint. Beef, shrimp, and chocolate produce the most greenhouse gasses of foods commonly consumed on Valentine’s Day in the United States.

Check out this list of great picnic recipes that will also cut back on greenhouse gas emissions.

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