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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Show your affection for the planet as well as the love of your life. So with a little planning for your Valentine's day, we can choose gifts and goodies that will bring joy to loved ones while caring for the planet. 

Valentine’s Day is a great excuse for sending tokens of love to your nearest and dearest and to a secret admirer, or two!

But in our desire to show affection for each other, we can overdo it and create a lot of waste.

However, with a little planning, we can choose gifts and goodies that will bring joy to loved ones while caring for the planet.

Millions of Valentine’s cards are sent each year.

Here are some tips for making your Valentine's cards greener:

Send a e-card or text message – they are good for the environment and for your pocket (especially if you have more than one secret love!).

Make your own card from recycled items. A handmade card is always extra special.

Look for cards in charity shops, where you know the profits are going to a good cause.

Always avoid over packaged cards and remember to recycle your card – or cards!

What about that Valentine’s gift?

There’s nothing wrong with flowers and chocolates, but there are ways of improving on the old tried and tested formulas:

Avoid flowers sent by mail order – they require so much packaging just to keep them safe during transit.

Order organic flowers from a local supplier and have them wrapped in paper that can be recycled and remember to compost or better still to dry the flowers afterwards.

Give your Valentine a rose bush to plant in his or her garden or a potted miniature rose to keep on the windowsill. Instead of cut flowers, buy a potted plant. Many indoor plants help produce oxygen and purify the air for a healthier home environment.
 
Help start or maintain a garden. Buy favorite organic seedlings (whether it's fruits, veggies, herbs, or flowers).
 
Flowers like nasturtium do double duty as a beautiful and colorful garden decoration and can be added to salads and stir fry.

Give the gift of chocolate this Valentine's sans pesticides! Choose organic chocolate with the fair Trade label.

Give local Food. Indulge with a local, organic hamper made up from your own grown or the local farmers market.

Give guilt-free with the huge range of organic wine, beers and spirits available: Which are kinder to the planet and kinder to you and your loved one. Organic wine is produced using a natural system of farming and limits the use of sulphur to control fungus. Organic regulations also limit sulphur dioxide which is added to wine as a preservative. On average organic producers use just one quarter of the legal maximum of sulphur dioxide allowed for non-organic wines, which may even lessen the chances of a hangover.

Organic beer is made from organic malt and hops. The average non-organic farmer is estimated to spray hops up to 14 times each year with an average of 15 pesticides.

Organic spirits are available through specialist suppliers and some supermarkets. The main difference lies in the use of organic raw materials, non-organic vodka is made from grain produced in systems usually reliant upon multiple applications of pesticides and artificial fertilisers.

Order Organic Wine online

Green is the color for Valentine's clothes. Ethical, organic fashion has become an essential part of our  high street and online shopping experience. There are many stylish eco-friendly and sweatshop-free options for clothes.

Jewellery: If bling is your thing, consider jewellery that is made from recycled materials.

Make your love a present instead of buying one. Many ideas for things start from items you might see at Ecobites, in magazines or elsewhere, add your own touch, and you have an original gift.

A-Z of homemade Valentine's Day Gift Ideas...

Make your love his or her favourite healthy organic treats / heart shape cake.

If you want to pamper your loved one: choose cosmetics that are organic and not tested on animals.

Light up: Use beeswax, soy or vegetable candles (parrafin-free), to light your special Valentine's dinner or breakfast. Try pouring them into small canning jars, mugs, tins or any pretty container. Use the old beeswax candles which are nearly used up and re-melt them into new!

Make a donation to a non-profit as a Gift.

A special Gift: Try something inexpensive but priceless.

A few well-chosen words can spread a lot of happiness.Write a love poem / song, can include a photo and add to a frame.

If they’re the star of your life, name a star after them.

Make up coupons that can be redeemed for everything from a hug, massage or to weeding the garden and taking out the trash, whatever comes from the heart.

Looking for love:  Green-Passions(100% free) online dating/social networking site for the eco-conscious. 

Related Recipe Articles:

  
HEALTHY BITES  Recipe ideas without all the nasties using love and care + organic ingredients. Enjoy ecobites' collection of fully illustrated recipes (with photos). All written exclusively for ecobites by CEO Lyn Stein (or user submitted). Eating healthy doesn't have to be bland. Choose from soups, starters, snacks, drinks, exotic fruit treats, vegetable dishes, pasta and more. Click here to visit ecobites' recipes.

ECO KIDS CORNER Tasty recipes for children to eat and/or create. Tried and proven healthy recipes without sugar and processed foods that children love. Get your children to create these recipes and you will have started them on a lifelong journey of great food and excellent dietry habits. Click here to visit Eco Kids Corner Recipes.