Show the planet some love: plastic-free swaps for Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2020Viki Karp

Demonstrate how much you care this Valentine’s Day by shunning the mountain of tacky plastic tat that fills the shops, and choosing an eco-friendly gift instead.

Read on for plastic-free swaps that prove it’s the Earth you love the most on February 14^th.

Green gifts

We are bombarded by the colour red on Valentine’s Day but in order to find to ways to reduce plastic we should be thinking green instead.

Flourish your flowers

Flowers are the obvious Valentine’s Day present but often come wrapped in cellophane. Those enclosed in paper are better but how about giving a bunch in something even more environmentally-friendly? When you visit the florist, take A Bee Green Wrap with you and ask them to put your stems in that instead. The recipient then gets to enjoy the blooms and the wraps can be reused over and over again.

(Camellias, snowdrops, witch hazel and early flowering daffodils blossom in February, so if you have these in your garden you can be even more sustainable and make up your own bouquet.)

Soap yourself silly

With no plastic wrapping and no nasties inside, these heart-shaped, home-made vegan shampoo bars are a fabulously eco-conscious way to celebrate your love. Whether you give sandalwood, lavender or tutti frutti (a blend of sweet orange, blueberry, grapefruit and apple) it’s guaranteed that special someone will smell amazing on your next date!

Food flirtation

The quickest way to anybody’s heart is through their stomach but rather than heading to the supermarket for a ready meal, try a delicious plastic-free feast instead.

Zero-waste chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate? There are few occasions when chocolate doesn’t go down well as a gift but it’s especially popular on Valentine’s Day. Many boxes are covered in cellophane, but there are brands that go for a cardboard-only approach, so seek one out and then make sure the wrapping gets recycled. Or, if you have a zero-waste shop nearby that sells chocolate, decorate and fill up your own container for plastic-free cocoa indulgence.

Start the day with love

There’s nothing like getting Valentine’s Day off to a good start, and you don’t need to stay in a fancy hotel to have a romantic breakfast. Simply arm yourself with a cookie cutter and conjure up a loved-up brekkie treat of heart-shaped toast or pancakes. And if you really want to make your point, buy a heat-resistant cutter and fry up some heart-shaped eggs as well!

Bake your way to passion

Nobody will object if you serve up a slice of supermarket cake with a cuppa, but you’re more likely to stimulate somebody’s senses if you invite them over when there’s a sweet smell emanating from the oven. Get your apron on and make your own cakes and biscuits: not only will you seduce your beloved with the taste, you can also decorate your baked goods with some loving - or cheeky – iced-on words so they absolutely get your message!

Thrifty but thoughtful

The retail commercialism that drives Valentine’s Day means that a lot of items come with a high price tag. If you don’t want to fork out a fortune to show someone you care you can still make the 14^th special, with some low-price but personal plastic-free swaps.

Craft your own card

Shop-bought Valentine’s cards can be expensive, and many of them are wrapped in plastic, as well as coming with nausea-inducing lovey-dovey wording inside. It will mean far more to the receiver if you make your own and all it will cost you is a little of your time. You can repurpose card you already have (e.g. from a cereal box or similar) by covering it with heart shapes cut out from unwanted fabric and adding your own adoring love-note.

Concoct your own cologne

The perfect perfume on a soulmate can send you into a starry-eyed spin. But while love can be intoxicating, it shouldn’t be toxic…which is exactly what some shop-bought chemical-ridden aromas are. Creating your own scent out of base oil and a personalised mix of essential oils is a whole lot healthier, much cheaper and will be completely unique, too.

Say it with songs

At one point in time there was nothing that said ‘I love you’ more than buying a TDK 90 (remember those?) and spending hours putting together a mixtape of your favourite tunes for the person you wanted to impress. Nowadays, technology makes it a whole lot easier: for a free, but big-hearted, Valentine’s Day gift why not create an intimate Spotify playlist, full of tracks that make your feelings clear?

Don’t forget to love yourself

Of course, not everybody will or, indeed wants to, spend Valentine’s Day with a significant other, but you can still show yourself some zero-plastic love on the 14th. Perhaps making yourself a card is going a bit too far but you can certainly make use of the ideas we’ve suggested here, or spoil yourself by taking your favourite tipple and a good book for a luxurious soak in the tub, accompanied by the splendid Kinn Bath & Body Oil Gift Pack.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Making plastic-free swaps is a simple way to reduce your plastic use. Our shop is full of

stylish, practical and eco-friendly products for you and your family.

KINN Neroli Blossom Laundry Detergent

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