Why Cupid’s arrow need not cost us the earth!
It’s that time of year when Cupid comes along and love is very much on the menu ... but at what cost to our environment?
We’re aware of being eco friendly at Christmas with recyclable wrapping paper and living trees but just how green can St Valentine be?
As it turns out, we could all be doing a lot more to love the environment and also to love the planet.
And, as much as we might love our other halves and St Valentine's Day, it is a perfect starting point to think about where your gifts are coming from and what they are doing to the climate and to the environment.
A staggering 55 million cut roses will be bought around the world with each stem requiring as much as ten litres of fresh wa- ter to reach its full size.
Royal Mail will deliver 12 million cards in the UK and an estimated £670 million will be spent on gifts.
The good news for all of us is that there are lots of different ways to have a day of love while not increasing your carbon foot- print.
Roses will eventually wither and die but for £20, the same price as a bunch of flowers, you can dedicate a tree to a loved one that could last for centuries.
Visit www.woodlandtrust. org.uk/support-us/give/dedications website.
If your budget is a big one
and you’re thinking of popping the question this Valentine’s Day go for a vintage antique ring instead of a new one.
Not only can antique rings accrue value but your betrothed is guaranteed to have something individual rather than risking having the same engagement ring as someone else.
If you’re eating out, consider food miles and go for somewhere that puts local produce at the front and centre of its menu planning, better still cook your own and shop locally.
If you’re set on chocolate make sure it’s fair trade.
Lots of card companies are doing plantable cards that are made with wildflower seeds in them.
So once your loved one has enjoyed the missives of love, they can plant their card and enjoy the wild flowers and the nature they're sure to bring every season for years to come.
It's worth remembering too that we don't have to spend a fortune.
We're all in a cost of living crisis so spending can and should reflect that.
So, if budgets are tight too, remember love is as much about the small gestures as it is the grand ones.
Try running a bath, bringing a cup of tea in bed or giving a back rub.
These are all perfect ways to demonstrate love without spending a penny.
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about money ... and it certainly doesn’t have to cost the earth!