Can you make Feb 14 a love fest for the planet?

How do I love thee? Or more to the point, how can I show my love for you and for the Earth at the same time?

by Elyse Singleton

Well, Christmas was barely off the shelves and the Easter buns came in, followed very swiftly by the Valentines’ Day paraphernalia. Whatever the time of year, it seems like there is always another event around the corner with yet another load of stuff to buy and more waste to create, including packaging, wrapping, unwanted gifts and less obvious waste such as emissions from imported goods. 


Of course, the option exists to choose to completely ignore these marketing moments, but for some, Valentines’ Day is worth celebrating. However, as always, creativity and a sense of fun can really shift this love fest into a love fest for the planet.

How do I love thee? Or more to the point, how can I show my love for you and for the Earth at the same time?  Let me count the ways.


1)     Roses

Forget it. Roses for Valentines’ Day are often imported, and according to one ABC report, over 10 million of them were brought into Australia for Valentines’ Day in 2018. The majority of those were sourced from Kenya. That’s a long way and that’s a lot of emissions. Cut flowers also die after a while and become waste. Maybe they end up in the compost, maybe they don’t. Then there’s the cellophane, the fancy paper, the ribbon – it all adds up. Get original and find something a little closer to home. My suggestion? If you or someone you know has a healthy succulent, take or ask for a cutting and plant it in the appropriate potting mix. Any container that has drainage holes can be used or get super crafty and drill holes into a cute upcycled container from your local opshop. Succulents are pretty hardy and take to being struck generally well. Nurturing your baby plant into something to give your beloved can also be a metaphor for your nurturing and loving nature. Or get a native plant. The flame red of a Callistemon (bottlebrush to the layperson) certainly reflects the passion of love. It should also do well in your garden, blossoming each year as a reminder of your feelings.

2)     Chocolates

I am not ever going to deny anyone a good chocolate feast but investigate your chocolates before you buy. To be fair, a number of popular brands found in supermarkets are made in Australia for subsidiaries of overseas parent companies, which could lessen the impact of importing finished chocolates.  There do exist, however, chocolate brands that are more ethical and sustainable overall if you search around on the internet. There’s even one made from cocoa grown in Australia (Hello, Daintree, I am looking at you). If you want to show love without packaging, a quick trip to your local bulk store can turn up delightful treats such as dark organic chocolate, chocolate-coated honeycomb and for the true Valentines’ cliché, chocolate-coated freeze-dried strawberries. Package these in a clean, re-used jar and all that’s left to do is for you and your Valentine to enjoy them together.


3)     Anything else

This is a big area. Fluffy things. Lingerie. Foil heart-shaped balloons. Champagne. Diamonds. I don’t know what your Valentines’ Day style is, but may I make the audacious suggestion that you leave it at the store? It is my belief that something from the heart, truly from the heart, is the ideal Valentines’ gift, for all parties concerned. Anyone can go to a store and buy a mass-produced red plush bear holding a heart, which may end up in landfill, especially if love’s dream does not last.  Someone special to you deserves something truly special. A letter telling them how you feel is likely to be cherished much longer and reread over and over. It can also be easily recycled in case things turn sour. In my safekeeping, I still have love letters written to a family member 80 years ago that were treasured all that time. Not a wordsmith? Read them a poem that you have found that reflects how you feel. You can get one from the internet or borrow a book from the library, so that’s essentially waste-free. How about a meal that you have prepared yourself? It doesn’t matter if your loved one is crazy about cheese on toast or steak tartare, it is your time and effort that matters.   Choose unpackaged, local food for that low- waste Valentine vibe. Even better, make a day of it, shopping at the farmers’ market together and then cooking and cosying it up at home. 


Love can be displayed at any time of the year and doesn’t necessarily need a special day – or to be a gesture of romantic love.  Not only the person you love, but even loved ones such as friends and family would probably appreciate any of these gestures whenever you felt like showering them with affection. Showing love for others also doesn’t preclude showing love to the planet, which it certainly needs, so let’s all show a little more love from now on – not only when the store displays tell us.


Elyse Singleton is a craft-obsessed writer, proofreader and mother who loves rummaging in opshops and finding new uses for discarded items.

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