Happy Valentine’s Day Hampton Roads!

Although pink and red are the traditional holiday colors, we at Bay Disposal believe that GREEN is the true color of Love; love for our planet, and love for our fellow earthlings (humans, animals, even plants). Every holiday brings its share of eco-challenges, which means that every holiday also brings a wealth of opportunities to make a difference. Let’s show earth some love this Valentine’s Day.

Ready, set, romance!

Cards

We’ll start with the biggest source of trash associated with the fourteenth of February: cards, which seldom are recycled. We’ve compiled a few suggestions for dealing responsibly with Valentine’s cards:

• Choose plain paper cards (no glitter!)
• Recycle cards you receive, and encourage others to do the same
• Make your own cards (check out These and These)
• Reuse the card (like these clever cousins)
• Forget the cards and instead give compliments to your friends, family, and crush

Candy

The next biggest culprit of Valentine’s waste is not difficult to guess: candy packaging. Many candies are individually wrapped for holidays, creating even more waste. To make matters worse, most candy wrappers are made of non-recyclable materials like waxy paper.

If you must hand out candy this year, choose sweets wrapped in aluminum or non-waxy wrappers, which can be recycled. Candy hearts are a seasonal favorite — and they come in recyclable cardboard boxes.

Of course, a better option is to forego the candy completely, and instead bake homemade treats for your loved ones (transport using reusable containers!)

Flowers

While not harmful to the environment (they are natural, after all) flowers can be composted so that they’re nutrients are returned to the earth. If you receive roses this Valentine’s Day (luckyyy) you can always hang them upside down to preserve them. Now you can look at them for years to come.

One more thing — no matter what, do NOT get your loved one balloons! They are NOT eco-friendly.

Environmentally Friendly Date Night Activities

We’ve given this one a lot of thought, and we’ve got a few ideas that may save you some money while saving the planet … and if they save your love life, well, that’s great, too!

Eco-Friendly Dates:

• Visit a park or museum
• Volunteer to walk dogs or visit with the elderly
• Have a picnic, go for a long walk, enjoy a bike ride together
• Dine at a locally-sourced restaurant
• Make Valentine’s cards or crafts for friends & family
• Stay in to cook and/or drink together
  • Turn down the lights — romantic & energy-efficient!
• Plant flowers instead of buying them
• Bake some delicious treats to share with friends
• Go camping (backyards, balconies & porches DO count) & look at the stars
• Wine tastings, brewery events, festivals, parades are always fun
• Skating — whether ice or roller — will have you holding each other (you know, for support.)

Bay Disposal & Recycling wants everyone to have a fun, romantic, and above all, responsible Valentine’s Day! We hope you’ve enjoyed our tips, tricks, and ideas for an eco-friendly Valentine’s Day and we’d love to hear from you — reach out to us on Facebook with your own eco-friendly date nights, holiday DIY crafts, and seasonal recipes.

Go Green, & Spread Love.

The post Green Valentine’s Day: For the Love of Recycling appeared first on Bay Disposal.