Cupid’s arrow may be aiming for a pink, loveable heart, but that doesn’t mean it should leave you in the red, particularly if you’re just recovering from your holiday spending of two months ago. And if you’d like to avoid consuming more unnecessary products this Valentine’s Day, I propose another unofficial holiday – along the lines of Buy Nothing Day – to protest the consumerism that seems to overtake the real meaning behind some of our holidays. Sounds heartless? Hardly.

The greeting card industry estimates that over a billion cards are exchanged on Valentine’s Day every year. Cards can be recycled, providing they’re not adorned with sparkle and glitter, but then there are the countless roses, candy, chocolates, singing telegrams, and other assorted heart and cupid shaped knick knacks and trinkets that people use to show their affection for each other. Gift-giving is wonderful, but when we start factoring in the fact that everything we buy is manufactured, then packaged and shipped, you come up with an unnecessary and negative impact on the environment.

Flower Power

Say it with flowers, the adage goes, but what are we really saying when we offer a bouquet of conventionally grown cut flowers? Most people probably don’t know that the quintessential red rose and other commercially grown flowers are generally “raised in chemical-intensive systems that expose workers to toxins that can make them sick -- sweatshops in the greenhouses, you could say,” according to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA). The majority of flowers sold in the U.S. come from outside the country and because consumers demand perfect looking flowers and growers don't want to fail the mandatory inspections for diseases and pests, obscene amounts of fungicides and insecticides are doused on the flowers. Fortunately, the $20 billion a year cut flower industry is being infiltrated by certification systems like Veriflora which is designed to showcase growers that use sustainable methods. TransFair USA the nonprofit agency that certifies fair trade coffee, chocolate and fruit, is now providing a fair trade seal for flower growers that meet strict social and environmental standards. Unfortunately, OCA says that there is not much demand for organic flowers because people don’t eat them, resulting in continuous use of toxic chemicals in outrageous amounts, essentially poisoning workers and everything living downstream. Clearly, we need to extend our reverence for organic foods to everything else we consume.

Chocolate is for Lovers

Casanova credited chocolate for his romantic prowess and scientists tell us chocolate contains chemicals that may trigger sensations in the brain similar to falling in love. I’m not sure about that, but because ten days is about my limit for going without chocolate, I say bring it on. Imagine my dismay, then, upon learning that most cocoa, like coffee, is not grown sustainably. Most of the world's chocolate is made by just a handful of companies with some reportedly run on child labor. Luckily, fair trade, organic cocoa exists, as does the finished product.

There are many ways to celebrate your love with that certain someone, while treading lightly. Here are a few ideas:

Make your own cards. Even if you’re not an artist, a homemade card with your own words can mean so much; it's the thought that counts, after all. Try attaching a favorite photo from a special time together or some other memento, too.

Gift certificates may sound boring, but not the kind I have in mind. How about a coupon for a favorite homemade pie (be sure to specify how many times it can be redeemed or you will have, like me, a spouse constantly trying to reuse a blueberry pie gift certificate given years ago)? Or how about a coupon for a moonlit walk in the park or a full-body massage or breakfast in bed? Let your imagination run wild! Slip the coupons into his/her backpack or briefcase before they go off to work and you will induce pleasant surprises during their day.

Cook him/her an organic, preferably vegan, dinner at home. What could be sweeter than eschewing chemicals and dead meat? You don’t even have to own a veggie cookbook since there are more veggie recipes online than you could ever hope to prepare. My favorite dessert recipe is the amazing Chocolate Almond Midnight, from San Francisco's Millennium Restaurant. Even without the almonds, it is superb and no one I've ever served it to can believe it's vegan.

Dim the lights. Not only do we conserve energy, it sets the mood for the evening.

Uncork it. Like everything, not all wine is created the same, so choose an organic one, preferably vegan (People’s Coop and Alberta Coop and possibly other area stores label which wines are organic, vegan, etc.).

If you feel you must offer a tangible gift, like flowers or chocolates, do not despair. Seek out the many organic options out there these days; the little extra effort you make will make your sweetie love you even more. Other gift ideas include: a tree or other plant for the garden, seeds for the garden with romantic names (love-in-a-mist, love-lies-bleeding, etc.), or a virtual adoption of an endangered species/donation on behalf of your loved one., If you're on you way out the door to buy your honey a bejeweled gift, consider buying antique jewelry instead of new, freshly mined stones and metal (with a set of social and environmental ills all their own); one store that has some gorgeous old jewelry and is easy to get to on bike or bus is Maloy’s at 717 SW 10th Avenue in Portland.
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Find Organic chocolate in our EcoMetro directory of green businesses. Want more gifts to use your coupons on? Try Mountain Rose Herbs or Talulah Natural Skin Care.