Love (and pollution) is in the air.

Valentines day.. I detest Valentines day!

To me everyday should be Valentines day, you should show your significant other that you love them everyday not via a Facebook / Instagram post one day out of the year!

But anyway, in this blog I'll share some tips on how to make your Valentines day a little more sustainable and show the earth that you love her too!

Cards : 

Instead of buying a hallmark generic card, why not make your own? or simply write a nice letter, it's a lot more personal and you're not buying into the mass consumerism that is Valentines day!

A guy I work with told me that he and his wife have used the same Valentines cards for each other for the past five years! So instead of buying a new one every year they simply write a new message in the current card they have! Personally I love this idea, imagine re - reading all the cute messages your partner has written over the years and then adding new ones each time!

You can also go down the route of buying cards off a local artist, at least if you are buying new you are also supporting a small business!

My favorite zero waste to show someone you love them is simply this.. " I love you." Tell them you love them not just on Valentines day but everyday!

Flowers :

 Okay so I love receiving flowers as much as the next girl but I hate watching them wilt after, especially because the price of  a bouquet of roses is enough to make your eyes water!
So instead of flowers, maybe opt for a nice plant, with the right care they will last so much longer than flowers.

 Why not buy a herb planet then you can use it in a nice Valentines meal!

If flowers really are their thing, then use a local florist, I can't stress enough how important it is to shop small and shop local!  Roses aren't in season right now so are often imported here. A local florist will make you a stunning bouquet of in season flowers grown here in Ireland.

Gifts :

 For sustainable gifts I'm going to say it again shop small and shop local! I live in a small town, where luckily small businesses thrive! we have a family run jewelers that has been there for as long as I can remember! I've bought many birthday / Christmas presents for family from there and my fiance even bought my engagement ring there. So if you can keep the gift buying local!

For something a little different, why not give the gift of planting a tree in your loved ones name! www.grown.ie  are an Irish company that are planting trees around Ireland to reduce carbon emissions and create more homes for Ireland's wildlife.

Buy sustainable gifts like soy based candles, reusable steel bottles, ethical beauty products, safety razors. All of these fab gifts can be found on www.reuzi.ie

So why not try and make your Valentines day a sustainable on this year! the environment will thank you for it!

Yours sustainably ,

                      Hayley x

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