How to have a sustainable Valentine’s Day

How to have a sustainable Valentine's Day

By Naomi Yaeger

Commissioned Earthkeeper in the United Methodist Church

I took a photo of Valentine's Day at my house about a year ago. The glass jar contains dried mint for our tea. My husband grew the mint in his garden. 

I took these photos the last couple of years on Valentine's Day. Instead of purchasing something new that would go to waste, I served tea. My husband had grown mint in our garden the previous summer. It is dried and in a glass jar on the right.

Valentine's Day is approaching. Is this a day you celebrate? If you are a child, maybe you have a party at school. My husband has fond memories of Valentine's Day parties during elementary school. For me, it has always been a fun day. My mother made it fun. Examples of how she made it fun are heart-shaped cookies frosted with pink or red icing, a heart-shaped cake, or some memorable food. Sometimes she gave me a unique pair of panties or tights even after I married.

The American Retailers Federation probably loves Valentine's Day because last year, Americans spent $23.9 Billion on gifts for partners, friends, and pets. Pets! Oh my! I think that's a little ridiculous. But it goes along with my point of making it a fun day even if you don't have a sweetheart.

The top five gifts consumers give are candy, greeting cards, flowers, an evening out, and jewelry.

Make your Valentine's Day fun. But, make sure you are showing love to the earth also.

Can you make something like a homemade card, cookies, or treat?

If you do purchase candy, look for candy that is wrapped most sustainably. Can you recycle or compost the wrapper? How much plastic is used to wrap the candy? With chocolate, look for Fair Trade chocolate. The industry has a history of using slave labor. If purchasing flowers, look for fair trade flowers. Who grows the flowers? Are they paid a fair wage? Are they exposed to toxic sprays while working?

I have included some Fair Trade logos in this column for you to check before purchasing.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9