Welcome to the festival of consumerism and all things tacky – let’s deep dive into why Valentine’s Day is the most loathsome celebration of the year.
Every year tonnes of Valentines Day themed crap enters landfill. There is a huge unspoken environmental impact that comes with February 14. Business waste.co.uk reports that around 40 million people in the UK celebrate Valentine’s Day and spend somewhere in the region of £1.3 billion – an extra nine million kilograms of CO2 are produced due to the waste it creates.
Valentine’s Day is the second-biggest holiday for card giving after Christmas. Twenty-five million Valentine’s cards are sent each year in the UK. Many of these are recyclable but the use of glitter and improper disposal means plenty end up in landfill sites.
It’s not just the UK producing unaffectionate figures about how much Valentine’s Day waste we create. In the USA, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold for Valentine’s every year – 26 million kilograms of chocolate that probably aren’t all eaten. And 250 million stems of flowers are sold around the world, with many ending up in landfill sites.
Instead of contributing to this trashy (pun intended) trend get something classy for your other half that can be used all year long or doesn’t end up in the bin.
You can make homemade baked goods. Painting candles has been a huge trend on social media recently – use some soy wax, a wick, and an old glass jar to make your own waste-free candles. Get in touch with your inner thrift guru by hunting for second hand gifts at unbeatable prices, there are multiple ways to upcycle things you find and add your own unique touch.
Finally, why not try a zero-waste date? Dates on a budget don’t have to be boring, an experience can often mean more to someone then a tacky gift that sits in a corner.
Leave the hideous bear and the tacky necklace on the shelf.
Amelia Jones 
Tyler Law