6 Eco-Friendly Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ This Valentine’s Day That You Need to Try Now!

Ah, Valentine’s Day! A day dedicated to special people in your life both romantic and non-romantic. If you saunter in a CVS or Walgreens in the next few weeks, you’ll be greeted by mountains of red and pink cards, candies, and trinkets to commemorate your life. 

These are all tempting purchases to make, but resisting them may lead you to explore even more intimate and romantic ways of professing your love. 

Here are our favorite ways to say “I love you” while loving the earth, too. 

1. Homemade Cards  

Store-bought cards are perfect-looking and catchy, but they can also look a bit cheesy and impersonal. This year, steer away from mass-produced plastic-coated cards and get creative making your own! 

The beauty of making something yourself is being able to personalize it as much as you want. Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be perfect. That’s part of what makes it so charming. You could even incorporate some inside jokes or reasons that person is so special to you. 

2. Acts of Service

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t things you can put in a box or bag. Acts of service are thoughts and romantic ways to show someone you care. They can be functional like cleaning the house or running errands, but they can also be a little sexy (wink, wink) depending on what everyone is in the mood for.

You could even make your acts of service into little coupons that your loved one can cash out. That way, they don’t feel like they only have one day to take advantage of your kind gestures. 

3. Airbnb in Nature

What better way to spend a romantic Valentine’s Day than nestled in the middle of nature? Renting an Airbnb for a night or two is a special way to reconnect with your partner while drowning out the hustle and bustle of the outside world. 

Airbnb has a great selection of cabins across the country (and around the world!) So, whether you’re looking for something on top of the mountains or in the middle of the desert, you’re bound to find a space to set the mood. 

4. Food & Home Baked Goods 

Does your sweetheart have a sweet tooth? The best way to ensure your Valentine’s Day doesn’t produce a lot of waste is to make everything edible! 

Chocolates or a candlelit dinner are always a win in our books. Bonus points if they are vegan! 

If you don’t feel like buying your partner nibbles is intimate enough, try your hand in the kitchen. You could bake them heart-shaped sugar cookies or try to recreate a dish from their favorite restaurant. Once again, the goal isn’t perfection, it’s personalization, so pour all your heart into whatever you make – but make sure to read the recipe thoroughly, too! 

Check out these delicious Valentine’s Day recipes:

• 15 Plant-Based Chocolate Strawberry Recipes to Enjoy on Valentine’s Day
• 15 Mug Cake Recipes for a Quick and Easy Valentine’s Day Treat!
• 15 Vegan Valentine’s Day Treats to Make With Your Best Buds
• 15 Full Cakes to Be Shared By Two Because Calories Don’t Count on Valentine’s Day
• Celebrate Valentine’s Day With These Extremely Romantic Recipes!
• Treat Yourself on Valentine’s Day With These 15 Desserts You Don’t Have to Share

5. Ditch the Teddy Bears and Other Throwaway Gifts 

Valentine’s Day trinkets like teddy bears holding hearts and plastic balloons that will deflate in a couple of days are relatively lackluster ways to show someone how much you care. They also almost always end up in the trash, which is not very romantic. 

This year, think about what kind of gift you want to get your loved one and where it might end up in a year’s time. 

6. Get the LOVE Cookbook!

As the actress Sophia Loren said, “The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love, for those you are cooking for.”

Food is always somewhat about love but on Valentine’s Day, pull out all the stops. Anyone can make reservations at a restaurant but preparing a meal for someone is a thoughtful and precious gift.

Love: Your Favorite Chocolate-Based Desserts & Treats Made Vegan is every chocolate lover’s dream come true! With 50 delicious and easy-to-follow recipes, this cookbook is sure to satisfy every chocolate connoisseur in your life. From chocolate classics like chocolate chunk brownies and chocolate chip cookies to decadent delights like Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles and dreamy chocolate mousse, this cookbook has something for everyone!

Related Content:

• Vegan Valentine’s Day Menu From Start to Finish!
• Cruelty-Free Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
• 7 DIY Valentine’s Day Gifts From Upcycled Stuff That Aren’t at All Romantic
• How to Make Healthy Heart-Shaped Treats for Your Furry Valentine

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks or browse through vegan recipes on One Green Planet.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Stand against fast fashion Pollution by supporting circular brands like Tiny Rescue, which create cause-based collections using recycled, zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill.
• Shop Sustainably for Your Home: Visit SustaiNOBLE.org, an eco-friendly and ethically sourced home decor store that will empower your home with luxurious fair-trade, and sustainable products made by global artisans.
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• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!