Candies, love, sugar, teddy-bears, and . . . waste?

Although pink and hearts are cute, Valentines Day isn’t the holiday at the top of my favorites (Groundhog Day would have to take the cake on that one).

Overall, I think Valentines Day is an okay holiday, but there’s a hidden caveat to Valentines Day that lowers it on my list. It’s actually not a great holiday for the environment.

Valentines Day is all about showing the ones you love that you care about them, but a lot of the little gifts bought might just end up in a dump a few weeks later.

For example, the piles and piles of Valentines presents sold at Walmart or Target aren’t sentimental gifts. Most of the products they sell for Valentine’s Day are cheap and not biodegradable such as low-quality stuffed animals and pink plastic trinkets.

Even if the edible treat you buy for your Valentine is biodegradable, it might still be problematic.

A fact that I found while researching Valentines Day was from The International Council on Clean Transportation. According to their study last year, 360,000 metric tons of carbon emissions are emitted in the weeks leading up to Valentines Day. And that’s not taking into account the exploitation inherent in the cocoa harvesting industry.

Although Valentines Day might seem problematic, I don’t think it should be canceled. Celebrating Valentines can be on everyone’s agenda this year, but if you’re worried about extra waste, there are options to keep up with your footprint.

Long-Term Gifts

The issue with Valentines Day waste doesn’t mean consumption should stop because that’s basically impossible. The best option is long-term presents or even more expensive presents. More isn’t always better—most of the time the many little gifts bought might end up in the trash after the holiday warmth cools.

Investing in a present you know your Valentine will enjoy for a longer period of time will keep the gift out of a landfill.

Avoiding Stocky Packaging

Packaging from boxes of chocolate tends to pile up fast. The heart-shaped boxes might look cute, but if you would like to be more environmentally friendly, the cute boxes might want to be avoided.

Instead of buying the Valentine’s themed boxes of assorted candies, try to find chocolates that don’t come in bulky packaging.

If you receive a plastic gift, it’s always smart to check if it can be recycled.

On products that can be recycled you will find the universal recycling symbol of the chasing arrows triangle. With the symbol there are number labeled 1-7. In Beaver, you can recycle numbers 1 and 2.

Experiences over Products

Sometimes the most memorable presents aren’t tangible. A day out with your Valentine might be more valuable than a box of chocolates.

If money is an issue, there are a ton of free or inexpensive activities that won’t break the bank. Going on a chilly hike, having a movie night, watching the sunset, painting, going somewhere inexpensive to eat, and so much more can be great, economical alternatives to a night out.

Thrift Your Gift

Around this time of year, thrift shops such as Goodwill might be putting out more of their Valentine’s Day themed products. Someone else’s trash might be your treasure, so stopping by a thrift store could be a way to be environmentally conscious when you still would like to buy.

Purchasing from a thrift store keeps goodies out of landfills.