As February 14th approaches, love is in the air and, for many of us, in our shopping carts. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to show some appreciation for our loved ones, but with all the gifts, cards, and flowers, the amount of waste left behind can come at a steep cost for the planet. Share your love for the Earth this Valentine’s Day with these sustainability tips from the Tufts Office of Sustainability:
- While a store-bought gift might be traditional, skip the landfill and try opting for an experience or homemade gift instead:
- Plan a romantic picnic or bike ride at Mystic Lake or the Middlesex Fells if you’re on the Medford/Somerville Campus. Check out the Ecomap for bike rentals and repairs locations.
- Give your loved one the gift of sustainably farmed fresh produce by registering them for the coming season of Tufts CSA.
- Check out the Craft Center on the Medford/Somerville campus for all your homemade card and gift needs.
- Make sure you are familiar with waste disposal at Tufts, especially where your nearest specialty recycling and compost sites are located. This information can also be found on the Ecomap.
- Minimizing Waste on Valentine’s day:
- DO Recycle:
- Aluminum cans
- Cardboard boxes from gifts or flowers
- Card envelopes
- Plastic floral wraps only at participating stores (most likely grocery or hardware store)
- Cardboard chocolate and gift boxes
- Plain paper greeting cards (without metal, plastic, musical elements, glitter, or foil add-ons)
- DON’T Recycle:
- Any greeting cards with other elements than plain paper
- Candy wrappers
- Ribbons and bows
- COMPOST:
- Flowers and bouquets
(list taken from The Recycling Partnership)
Get creative and make this red and white holiday green your way!
