I've never been a fan of this holiday. Even before being zero waste, I thought that the gifts traditionally given in the name of 'love' for this day were materialistic and shallow. Love shouldn't be measured in useless trinkets given, especially when those gifts are created by slave labor, strip the nature of their natural resources, created emissions being shipped around the world, and just end up the in the trash.

Love and affection for someone should not be measured in the unncessary trinkets given.

This Valentine's day, express your love in other ways that don’t pollute this earth needlessly. So here is a list of easy, zero waste Valentine's Day gift and date ideas!

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A blanket list of gifts ideas is difficult to produce because everyone is so different. While I've tried to generalize some gifts here that most people like, I'd recommend keeping a list of all the things your partner mentions wanting throughout the year. Then when the time comes to get a gift, you can look at the list and get them something useless! For example, my boyfriend loves cast iron so I think I'll get him a sleeve for the handle of our cast irons so he doesn't keep burning himself. Will that make him happy? Hell yes. Will that confuse others who don't like cooking and have cast iron? Also hell yes.

Physical Gifts

I love gifting (and getting) homemade items because it truly shows the time, effort, and thought put into creating that good. You have to think about what your partner would like can customize your gift to fit exactly what you think they'd love. Plus, it's made with love <3 I've included 11 zero waste Valentine's Day gifts that are more tangible in nature.

Lotion

Soft skin definitely seems like a win on this holiday. Skip the nasty chemcicals in conventional lotions that just seep into your skin and make your own!

Check out the easy instructions here.

Lip Scrub

Combine equal parts of brown sugar with white sugar and drizzle enough olive oil to lightly coat it all. That's really all that there is to it.

Lip Balm

Protect your puckers from the cold weather (if you’re up North like me)!

Spa in a Basket

While the lip balm and the lotion would be great gifts on their own, you can combine them with a lip scrub, a bath bomb, a body scrub (etc) to give your partner a DIY spa night.

Coupon book

Make your partner a coupon book of different chores you’ll do around the house when asked. Cook a meal, give a backrub, those kind of things.

Candles

Great as a thoughtful gift because you can personalize the scent for your partner. Bonus, you can use it later for whatever else you have planned.

Instructions to make your own here.

If you decide to buy one, make sure you purchase a soy or coconut wax based one and not paraffin.

Plants

While some like flowers, I personally prefer plants because they don't die (as easily at least)! You can find them a cute pot to put it into as well

Baked Goods

Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong with surprising your partner with their favorite baked good. Chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, cheese cake, the world if your oyster.

Playlist

Not really tangible, but you get the gist. Make your partner a playlist you think they'll love.

Perfume/Cologne

This can be fun if you know what scents your partner likes, or if he/she wants you to make one for them that you like (since you'll be the one smelling them.)

Instructions can be found here.

Local Alcohol

Splurge a little and grab them a bottle of their favorite wine, beer, or sprits (or all three if you know, that's you're thing.)

Experience Gifts

Give the gift of time! Because when we look back at our life, it's really about the time we had with loved ones and not the materialistic items we accumulated. So to add to the zero waste Valentine's day date ideas.

DIY Paint Night

Grab yourself some paints (or make yourself some paints), some extra cardboard your have laying around, and a bottle of wine. You can follow along with YouTube tutorials like Bob Ross to recreate what is traditionally an expensive night out at a paint studio at your home for cheap!

Massage

If you’ve got the spare change, treat yourself and your significant other to a spa day! If not, you can of course recreate it at home by lightning  some candles, putting on some soothing music, and breaking our some coconut oil for an easy massage oil.

Museum Tickets

Get your learn on! Pro tip, check your local library for a free or discounted tickets.

Get Active

Go rock climbing, roller blading, bowling, or you know… anything else that comes to mind ;)

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