Ensure your day is a good one for both your loved ones and the planet. When it comes to gift-giving, we encourage people to think about:
- Experiential gifts
- Consumable gifts
- Practical gifts that are environmentally friendly and ethically sourced
Chocolate? That’s consumable. Plants? You can get those sourced from environmentally and ethically conscious places. Date night? That’s a great experiential gift.
We’ve compiled a list of eco-conscious Valentine’s Day gifts for you to give your loved one(s):
Fair Trade* and Palm Oil Free** Chocolate
Trying to determine where to purchase fair trade chocolate in Manitoba?
- Generation Green, Winnipeg, MB
- Ten Thousand Villages (Winnipeg, Steinbach, Brandon, Altona)
- Vita Health, Winnipeg, MB
- MEC, Winnipeg, MB
- Bulk Barn (Winkler, Brandon, Winnipeg)
- A variety of large grocery retailers
- Others? Let us know
Treat yourself and our environment by buying chocolate without palm oil in it. How do you know if it contains palm oil? Read the ingredients list, and look for words like Palm Kernel Oil or Sodium Laureth Sulphate. Saturated Fat content of 50% or more is also a red flag. For more details, click here.
Fair Trade* Flowers
Trying to determine where to purchase fair trade flowers in Manitoba?
- Arborg Nic Nacs, Arborg, MB
- The Station, Boissevain, MB
- Carman Florist, Carman, MB
- Fountain of Flowers, Dauphin, MB
- Cut & Dried Russell Flowers, Russell, MB
- Edward Carriere, Winnipeg, MB
- The Floral Fixx, Winnipeg, MB
- U Floria, Winnipeg, MB
- Others? Let us know
House Plants
Even better than giving fair trade flowers (which are likely flown in or grown using copious amounts of electricity and water), try giving a houseplant. Repot a shoot from one of your own or find a locally grown one at a retailer near you.
Homemade Candy
Have a special someone in your life with a sweet tooth? Try making your own candy! No worries if you’re not experienced, it’s actually really simple – just add sugar! Just think of all the packaging and processing you’ll eliminate from your gift. Plus, homemade gifts mean so much more than store-bought!
If you’re planning to buy candy, think local and sustainable. Did you know palm oil can also be found in candy? For more information about how to make a Happy Valentine’s Day for an orangutan by avoiding palm oil, click here.
Movie Night
Date nights (aka experiential gifts) are great memory makers! One example includes a movie night:
- Get cozy in front of your tv, make some popcorn and get some snacks ready! Stream a new release online, watch one of your favourites, or visit your local library’s website to see what kind of movies they have available for check-out.
Dinner
How fun is a good meal with your loved one?
- Order from a local restaurant and enjoy the company of your loved one(s). Even better, find a restaurant that serves primarily local food, and uses paper/compostable containers! Don’t forget to skip the cutlery and extras.
- Takeout not your thing? Buy a bottle of Fair Trade* wine and make dinner at home. Be extra eco and make your meal vegetarian, local, and/or waste-free.
DIY Care Package
Make or purchase bath salts, face scrub, shampoo bar, soap bar, beeswax candle, fair trade* wine
Local Honey
Looking to get real cheesy? Find some local honey and make a label or card that says “will you bee my valentine.”
Fair Trade* Coffee or Tea
Bonus points if you can find a store near you that carries fair trade tea and/or coffee in bulk and bring your own container to fill.
Cards
Giving a card? Why not make one using recycled paper, or upcycle a card you already have. If purchasing one, be sure it’s made from 100% recycled content and isn’t plastered with sparkles.
Wrapping
If you’re giving a physical gift, don’t forget to choose sustainable wrapping options. Click here for some ideas.
* Why Fair Trade? In addition to ensuring that the workers producing the product you are purchasing are working in fair conditions and being paid a fair wage, these products are also produced and harvested in an environmentally sustainable way. Choosing fair trade is good for everyone.
Want to check if it’s Fair Trade? Check out Fair Trade Canada’s Guide.
**Why go Palm Oil Free? More than 50% of products in most supermarkets contain palm oil or its derivatives. Unfortunately, palm oil production has been linked to massive deforestation, orangutan habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty, and indigenous rights abuses. By choosing products without palm oil, we are choosing to support an industry that allows the environment and people to thrive.
More questions about Palm Oil? Visit the Orangutan Alliance website.
