💕 Ideas for Celebrating Valentine's Day Sustainably

Mother Nature really takes a hit during the holidays...from cut flowers to overconsumption. Here are some ideas to show the planet some love and still have a special holiday!

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The holiday that sparks a strange love-hate reaction in so many of us. Sure, it’s fun to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a loved one. But it also serves as a reminder that love can be elusive, especially in a world where isolation is more and more prevalent.

And, even if you do have a Valentine, why do we need to get expensive cut flowers or cheap chocolates to show our appreciation?

Personally, I land somewhere in the middle…I don’t mind embracing festivities, but am also painfully aware of the unnecessary consumerism side to it. So, I’m devoting these ideas to help make Valentine’s Day fun and a little more sustainable. After all, Mother Nature deserves a little love, too.

🗑️ Reality of Valentine’s Day Waste

Valentine’s Day really “takes the cake” when it comes to consumerism and negative environmental impacts. In the U.S. alone, waste is generated on a large scale. Here’s a breakdown from Waste 360 of what’s purchased for this holiday:

• 36 million heart-shaped boxes

• 180 million cards

• 198 million roses

• 881 thousand bottles of sparkling wine

• 58 million pounds of chocolate

Some of the worst “offenders” are…you guessed it…cut flowers and chocolate. These industries carry a hefty footprint, and Valentine’s Day helps perpetuate this. In fact, about 80% of the cut flowers in the U.S. are imported from other countries, where they are treated with pesticides prior to export, need to travel on planes (they need to get to their destination quickly), and are discarded within a week or so. That’s not exactly efficient.

There ARE better ways to embrace Valentine’s Day!

🏆 Primary goals to celebrate the holiday

• Resist overconsumption

• Embrace and amplify alternative gift ideas

• Discover vegan meals instead of traditional meat, dairy, and seafood-heavy plates

🌱 Embrace plant-based, vegan treats

You don’t need to be a full-time vegan to make a positive impact with your diet. Skip the heavy meat dishes, or seafood drenched in butter, and support your local vegan restaurant or stay in and cook together!

If you’re interested in a home cooked meal or two, here are some of my favorite treats:

Beetroot Waffles

Enjoy some pink-hued waffles to kick off the day!

• Completely vegan and dairy free

• Gorgeous, festive pink color

• Easy to make

• Texture that’s crispy on the outside with a tender interior

• Added earthy sweetness from the beetroot powder

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Bread

This sweet bread is a twist on the chocolate-strawberry classic. You can enjoy this for breakfast OR dessert (or as a snack… 😉) making this a little more versatile than traditional chocolate-covered strawberries.

• Vegan chocolate chips melt into little bursts of chocolate that complement sweet strawberries SO well

• Texture is moist and tender

• It’s incredibly easy to make

*My only note here is that strawberries aren’t in season in my area until later this spring. You should be able to use frozen strawberries without issue, but I would avoid letting them thaw before baking as that can increase the moisture content and alter the texture.

Red Wine Brownies

Red wine brownies is one of my favorite recipes from several years ago, and I absolutely LOVE the texture with these. I’m a fan of the cracked top with a fudgey interior.

• A hint of red wine gives these beautiful, fruity depth of flavor

• I lowered the sugar amount by substituting granulated sugar with Truvia Sweet Complete*

• Texture offers that beautiful balance of fudgey, pops of chocolate chips, and a light “crust” on top

*Note: I no longer use Truvia Sweet Complete when baking as I’m trying to stay away from the additives. I’ll share a deeper dive into stevia types soon!

Hibiscus Simple Syrup (No Sugar Added)

Speaking of Truvia and stevia (NOT interchangeable between brands, btw), my favorite revelation of 2025 was developing a way to make simple syrup without all the sugar. (I do eat sugar, btw…I just like to do it in moderation). Instead, I use pure stevia extract with a little arrowroot powder to substitute the sugar.

Keeping dried hibiscus on hand is a great way to elevate tea, baked goods, and more. One of my favorite uses is hibiscus simple syrup. All you have to do is add some seltzer water and ice and you have a beautiful hibiscus soda perfect for red-themed holidays.

Hibiscus soda from hibiscus simple syrup and seltzer water

🌹 Move over cut flowers…give the gift of potted or native plants

Source for native plants grown without neonicitinoids

As much as I’ve enjoyed cut flowers in my life, I LOVE a plant that won’t die in a week. Given how resource-intensive cut flowers are to import…to just die, potted plants, outdoor perennials, or seeds really are a more sustainable choice. And, isn’t that a better symbol for enduring love?

If you’re loved one is a gardener and enjoys seeds, putting together a little seed gift is fun and interactive. February is the perfect time to get started on starting spring and summer veggies.

Or, add to the collection of potted houseplants. Just make sure you know what conditions the plant needs (natural sunlight, etc.) and if it’s toxic to any pets.

For those who embrace adding native plants to their landscape (hi, fellow native gardeners! 👋 ), getting some established native plants or roots is a great gift to help grow a native plant collection. Depending on the plant, you may need to wait for warmer weather to get it and put it in the ground, but there are others that are fine to get in February. Here are some resources to explore native plants for your area:

• Garden for Wildlife (I’ve personally had luck with their plants; though, they will wait to ship certain varieties until spring)

• Native Wildflowers Nursery (I plan to use them soon!) This nursery sells/ships the roots so you will have to wait a bit to see it emerge.

• Additional nurseries recommended by Homegrown National Park

House plants, potted perennials, and herbs from local suppliers are also a really nice gift!

💡 Want to gift some seeds instead? Like I mentioned earlier, a seed bouquet is a really cute way to present packets. Just attach packets to a skewer or stick and secure upright in a pot (I love terra cotta or ceramic to avoid microplastics). Wrap a ribbon around the pot for a festive touch!

Seed bouquet example

🏔️ Connect with nature

Take some time to hit the reset button and show YOURSELF some love by reconnecting with nature.

• Go for a walk or hike

• Spend time in the garden

• Enjoy date night at a local botanical garden

• In warmer climates, opt for a picnic…colder climates, perhaps some time around a fire pit

If the weather doesn’t cooperate (it is February after all), consider a fun day at a natural history museum, or take a virtual walk from the plethora of YouTube videos available.

🎁 Be intentional about gifts

• Opt for thrifted or second-hand finds. Trust me, these can be NICE.

• Consider experience gifts over physical trinkets: theater or movie tickets, a spa day, sporting events, annual park passes, trip to a winery…so many options!

• Purchase a positive impact gift, like planting a tree in someone’s name or make a donation to an animal shelter

• If opting for something new, make sure it’s needed, good quality, serves more than one purpose (when possible), and supports small businesses!

• Chocolate can also be sourced from places that don’t support workers or the environment. Try to buy vegan chocolate brands that support fair labor and eco-friendly practices. Many of these are transparent about this on their packaging (though, I always encourage doing independent research 😉 ). These chocolate options may not be shaped into something Valentine’s Day-themed, but that’s ok. It’s still chocolate!

These are just a few steps you can take to make the holiday of love a little more loving for the planet. What plans do you have for Valentine’s Day this year?

Sending you happy wishes from my little corner of the world!

Your friendly neighborhood vegan,

Melanie