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01 Feb
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Celebrate Love With These 8 Sustainable Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Cannnn you feel the love tonight? Yes, my friends, Valentine’s Day is coming up quickly!

It’s said we began celebrating Valentine’s Day centuries ago, but it’s only in the 19th century that it started to look like the holiday we know today: consumerist and mass-produced. And traditional Valentine’s Day gifts can be extremely wasteful: carbon emissions associated with cut-flower production can be as high as 3 kg of CO2 PER FLOWER. And don’t get me started on plasticky cards, balloons, or teddy bears!

But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate love! At Good On You we like seeing Valentine’s Day as a day of appreciation, showing the people around us we love them: it can be a partner, partners, friends, family, pets, or simply ourselves (that’s the most important part for us).

And there are ways we can thoughtfully treat ourselves and others while protecting the planet and its inhabitants. Which is why we listed 14 ethical and sustainable Valentine’s Day gift ideas that will help you spread some eco-friendly love!

Roses are red

As we started discussing above, offering flowers can have quite a negative impact on the environment. But we know flowers are also a great and simple gift! If you’re really set on offering flowers, we recommend having a look at locally-grown and seasonal flowers. But you could also offer dried flowers that will last much longer, a plant (succulents are cute and easy to care for), or even a tree!

Chocolates are forever

Chocolates are also a very popular Valentine’s Day gift, and understandably! But most store-bought chocolates aren’t super eco-friendly or ethical.

In fact, some of the biggest candy manufacturers have a huge impact on the environment: chocolate production massively contributes to deforestation and species extinction due to the demand for sugar, palm oil, and cocoa beans. Some companies have also been found to source their cocoa from countries that use child labour or slave labour. And let’s not forget non-recyclable wrapping or packaging.

So instead, why not make your own treats? Cupcakes, cookies, cakes—there are so many recipes you can find on the Internet to satisfy your loved ones’ sweet tooth (and your own). Looking for some inspo? We love these 15 Valentine’s Day vegan treats.

And whatever you choose to bake, don’t forget the most important ingredient of all: LOVE.

Time is priceless

Gifting yourself or your significant other time is also an amazing, almost waste-free idea! It can be some alone time, spending time helping and supporting the other person, or other people in general, or it could also be experiences, such as classes, workshops, massages, spa days, retreats, staycations…

Sustainable gifts

If you prefer offering a tangible gift, or if you think the other person would prefer a long-lasting present, why not offer them a sustainable Valentine’s Day gift from one of these ‘Good’ and ‘Great’ brands?

Underprotection

Rated: Good
woman wearing black lace bralette by underprotection

Gilda Bralette in Black – Ships internationally from Denmark

Made in Greece, this vegan-certified bralette will make you feel sexy and powerful, perfect to add a little bit of spice to the time spent with your significant other(s) or by yourself. Underprotection is a Danish brand combining ethics and aesthetics, creating underwear, loungewear, and swimwear from sustainable materials like recycled polyester and organic cotton. All of its packaging, paper, and polybags are either recycled or biodegradable, and it only works with certified factories as it believes “fair working conditions and fair wages are human rights”. Underprotection exists to celebrate women of all kinds, and its goal is to make them feel as beautiful and comfortable as possible. You can find the full range in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Underprotection.

ARTICLE22

Rated: Good
silver necklace and bracelet by article22

Let’s Spoon Necklace and Be Good Coin Wrap – Ships internationally from the US

ARTICLE22 embodies the innovation that the fashion industry needs more of—using recycled materials to produce beautiful globally-marketable products, while equipping local artisans with new skill sets and providing them with a sustainable source of income. The brand gives back to clear more unexploded bombs in Laos, supports traditional artisans, and donates a proportion of profit to support community development for workers.

We love these two items, locally handcrafted in Laos using recycled materials from Vietnam War bombs, plane parts, military hardware, and other aluminium scraps, perfect for sending your loved ones a cheeky message. The range is available in sizes S-XL.

See the rating.

Shop ARTICLE22.

Whimsy + Row

Rated: Good
Close up of someone wearing gold and silver ethical jewellery by Whimsy + Row.

Machete Hoops – Ships internationally from the US

Whimsy + Row is an eco-conscious lifestyle brand born out of a love for quality goods and sustainable practices. Since 2014, its mission has been to provide ease and elegance for the modern, sustainable woman. By limiting each garment to short runs, Whimsy + Row utilises deadstock fabric, reduces packaging waste, and takes care of precious water resources. These classic hoops are handmade from recycled brass. Find most products in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Whimsy + Row.

Shop Whimsy + Row @ Earthkind.

You can find more jewellery inspo in our ultimate guide to ethical jewellery.

BEEN London

Rated: Good
black coin purse by been london

Wilton Purse – Ships internationally from the UK

Purses are so underrated and yet so useful! In short, they are great gifts. This minimalist coin purse is handmade in London from recycled leather and PET bottles, perfect to fit all of your cards, cash, coins, and love notes! BEEN London is a London-based brand turning waste into timeless accessories you’d want to use every day.

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Shop BEEN London.

Shop BEEN London @ Cerqular.

Elvis & Kresse

Rated: Great
red upcycled belt by elvis and kresse

West End Belt – Ships internationally from the US

Elvis & Kresse is a UK-based brand that upcycles reclaimed materials into sustainable luxury lifestyle accessories, all ethically handmade with 50% of profits going back to charities. The West End is a great unisex belt, one you will never take off your favourite pair of jeans. Timeless and practical, it’s made from genuine decommissioned red British firehose.

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Shop Elvis & Kresse.

Stella McCartney

Rated: Good

Pre-Owned Stella McCartney Jewellery – Ships internationally

A member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Stella McCartney has set some excellent environmental standards across the luxury fashion industry. Stella uses some lower-impact materials, including recycled polyester and organic cotton, and has a strategy in place to reduce waste across its entire supply chain. It has also adopted the ETI Code of Conduct that includes a living wage definition.

Find most items in sizes 34-52.

See the rating.

Shop Stella McCartney @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Stella McCartney Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Stella McCartney.

Gucci (Pre-Owned)

Rated: It's A Start
three second hand Gucci items from Vestiaire Collective listings

Pre-Owned Accessories and Jewellery – Ships internationally

Founded in 1921, Gucci is an Italian luxury fashion house that produces menswear, womenswear, as well as shoes, bags, and other accessories. The brand has good policies to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, but still uses exotic animal skin. The good news is that you can find many of Gucci's modern luxury pieces second hand.

See the rating.

Shop Gucci Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

We also recommend these retailers, which all have great gift selections for all kinds of budgets and styles:

Made Trade

We could not recommend Mate Trade enough. They’ve curated the perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for him, for her, for them, for babies, or pets!

Shop Made Trade’s gifts – Shipping internationally from the US.

Rêve en Vert

Rêve en Vert truly believes that holidays are a moment for considered and mindful consumption that means something special to the recipient. We love their selection of items that spread love and serve a lovely purpose. They have everything from skincare to homeware and accessories.

Shop Rêve en Vert’s gifts – Shipping internationally from the UK

Immaculate Vegan

Immaculate Vegan is our go-to for gift ideas for the vegans in our lives. They have hundreds of ethical and eco-friendly gifts to inspire you, including vegan gifts for her and for him, under £100 or under £50.

Shop Immaculate Vegan’s gifts – Shipping internationally from the UK

The gift of knowledge

Books are a great way to keep up-to-date with everything that is going on in the world, whether you read from a good old fashioned book or on an e-reader. For the ethical fashionista or bookworm in your life, we recommend having a look at our selection of must-read books on sustainable and ethical fashion.

Not really into reading? Why not offer an audio-book or a subscription to a platform that gives you access to thousands of audio-books?

 

No matter your gift decision, and even if you spend V-Day alone, remember that every day is an opportunity to celebrate the love in your life both from yourself and those lucky enough to be in your life.

Editor's note

Feature image via Unsplash, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world's most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands. To support our work, we may earn a commission on sales made using our offer codes or affiliate links.

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