Green Bexley: Valentine's Day plan should include love for the planet

Love is in the air, as is evident by the displays of pink boxes of chocolate at the grocery stores, candy hearts and bouquets of red roses.

This time of year, gift giving skyrockets to more than $20 billion. With some forethought, these gifts can be acts of service for the planet while still filling the bucket of gift giving. Please consider the following swaps for a more sustainable Valentine’s Day and find more ideas to celebrate on greenbexley.org/holidays. Give the planet some love, too!

Elizabeth Ellman is the city of Bexley’s Sustainability Programs coordinator.
Elizabeth Ellman is the city of Bexley’s Sustainability Programs coordinator.

• If you’re purchasing flowers, buy locally grown from an area florist. These often will be early-season blooms instead of roses. By virtue of being grown close-to-home, they will have negated the mass migration of flowers imported in January and February from South America, which is notoriously not eco-friendly. Contact your favorite local florist for a sustainable arrangement.

• Give your words of affirmation sustainably, via an electronic or homemade Valentine card. If you do purchase new, prioritize recycled paper when possible. After the holiday, remove any non-recyclable accessories (glitter, etc.) and place the card and envelope in the recycling bin.

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• Choose fair trade and sustainably sourced chocolate over conventional. Certified brands are pricier than what you might pay typically, but you’re funding a fair wage for cocoa farmers and getting sustainably sourced ingredients like palm oil. Look for labels and certifications such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Fair For Life. The Bexley Natural Market stocks a variety of sustainable and ethical chocolate bars; pick up a few and indulge.

• Eat for the planet by making a conscious effort to reduce consumption of conventional animal products and prioritize regeneratively grown crops, dairy and meats. Regenerative agriculture differs from organic, biodynamic and non-GMO; instead, regenerative agriculture repairs the soil, improves the water cycle and removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Stretch your culinary skills by featuring seasonal winter produce (root vegetables, winter squash, citrus and brassicas to name a few) for your Valentine’s Day meal.

Elizabeth Ellman is the city of Bexley’s Sustainability Programs coordinator. Learn more about the city’s sustainability programs at bexley.org/sustainability and how you can take action at www.greenbexley.org and @greenbexley on Facebook and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Green Bexley: Valentine's Day plan should include love for the planet