Love… whether it’s exciting, fresh, eternal or simply just nonexistent, love deserves a day of recognition. This year, show your love of each other and your love for the earth by mixing red with green. Here are a few ways you can enjoy a relaxing, eco-fabulous Valentine’s Day:

If you’re going to love your honey like you love the planet, show it with flowers, make sure they are organic. Flowers grown organically are best for the environment because of the reduced toxic chemical usage, which creates a safer environment for the farmers and for our earth. Not to mention organic farms promote long term sustainability on farm lands which support the health of our planet. Be picky about where you buy your flowers because many flowers found at the supermarkets and other floral departments come from other countries. By doing this they are generating a larger carbon footprint since they have to import them by plane using large amounts of fuel and energy. Make sure to invest in socially responsible flower companies by buying organic or fair trade flowers. Sierra Eco is a fair trade flower company, which vows to change the world… one flower at a time. There are also ways to extend the life of your freshly cut flowers without the use of chemicals, here’s how.

Buy fair trade organic chocolate and pair it with your favorite organic fruits. Play your part in a more equitable trading partnership by purchase fair trade chocolate from companies like Divine. Look for chocolate that has a certification logo for Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or some other indication on their packaging that assures the item to be produced both sustainably and ethically. Chocolate itself is considered and aphrodisiac and causes your brain to release serotonin which makes you feel like your falling in love, which means it’s clearly needed for Valentine’s day.

Finally, send love letters…online of course! Sending the ones you love e-greetings is a great way to reduce the need for paper consumption but still let people know that you are thinking about them. We like Evite or Punchbowl because of the variety of cool designs. Reducing the amount of cards you send drastically reduces your carbon footprint. This year, we challenge you to think outside the card stock and be considerate as to how your card sending impacts the environment as well as other traditional Valentine’s Day practices. This is the only earth we have, so let’s love it as much as we can. Happy Valentine’s Day