Celebrating love? Here’s how you can keep it more thoughtful this Valentine’s Day

Named after a Catholic priest from 3rd-century Rome, Valentine’s Day is that one time of the year that couples supposedly take to celebrate love. While it was originally to honour St Valentine’s efforts to unite young lovers, the modern-day has turned it into a celebration of their romance.

On this day, couples take the opportunity to go out and cherish their romantic memories. In fact, multiple commercial hubs go all out and advertise their products with the theme of Valentine’s Day. Gifting stores make sure to pull out all the stops and have everything ready for the discerning lover - from romantic greeting cards to heart-shaped candies and cushions! But while these gifts may make your heart swell for a brief while, do they leave behind a trail of carbon footprint without your knowing?

Little acts like not using gift wrap to choosing something organic for the day’s meal to gifting a sapling to your lover – these choices will let you shower some love to your valentine, and to the planet as well!

Here are some sustainable ideas to celebrate this Valentine’s Day -

Go vegan

Veganism is a lifestyles choice that steers clear of animal cruelty from avoiding leather products to animal meats. As much as the idea to celebrate without popularly delicious food sounds boring, going to a vegan restaurant is not a far-fetched idea. With some amazing advancements in food technology, restaurants now have a variety of dishes that use only dairy and cruelty-free products in their menu.

Moreover, with the inception of plant-based meats, the idea of meat-free meals is not too hard to digest. No pun intended!

To gift wrap or not

We are now living at a time when gift wrap is not seen as a formality. So while some of us can actually say ‘no’ to wrapping something in fancy papers and ribbons, there is always the alternative to use recycled paper or even newspapers.

Repurposed gifts

Repurposed fashion is in, with the fashion industry slowly becoming more conscious of their fabric wastes. Many companies are now stitching together designer clothing lines that are churned out of fashion wastes.

Be it upcycled or recycled, the options are plenty - and several brands are proud to wear the badge of honour when it comes to being eco-friendly. So what’s the difference, you ask? While upcycled clothing brands use entire pieces of existing garments to create something new and beautiful, with recycled clothing, materials are broken down before they are reused. And what’s more, it’s not just clothing that follows this line of reinvention. From stationery products to handcrafted, cruelty-free bath products – you name it and you have it.

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A thoughtful date

Make it a date to remember by making it eco-friendly! So if you have planned an afternoon lunch or a late-night dinner, go one step ahead and precede it with some tree-planting or a beach clean-up (if you by the coast only, of course!)

Going camping together, bicycling through a biking route, planning an evening out star-gazing, or even just taking a staycation - all these practical ideas for an eco-friendly date will leave you feeling happy, alive and more loved for sure, whilst also ensuring a greener and healthier planet!