Sustainable Gift Guide: Valentines Day

Welcome to the first of many gift guides from thekyliebee!

I LOVE testing out products, especially the ones that claim to be sustainable. These days the focus is on sustainability. It’s almost becoming a buzzword.. Which is great! Many people didn’t even know what that meant a few years ago, now companies are starting to put their sustainability initiatives into their mission statements. It’s a start in the right direction.

I have always loved watching YouTube gift guides and reading blogs to get gifts ideas for people because I know on the other end of the TV or computer screen there is someone that has either tried out the product and/or completely believes in the company they are recommending.

So in an effort to pull together my passion for sustainability and sharing my finds with the world, I have decided to start putting together gift guides. And for the month of February 2021, you guessed it… Valentine’s Day!!!

Whether you want to stick with the traditional gifts or think out of the box, see below for some of my favorite sustainable options to get for that special someone this Valentine’s day.

This blog post and shop widgets use affiliate links. Affiliate links are marked (ad). Read the disclaimer about affiliate links and PR products/gifting HERE.

Alrighty, let’s get started…

1. Stuffed Animals

Meet Sustainimals. From the soft fur to the stuffing on the inside, the entire stuffed animal is made of post-consumer recycled plastic. Also, this company donates 20% of proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council. This gift is the perfect sustainable swap for the common teddy bear at the store, these stuffies have a purpose and a sustainable mission behind them!

Get yours HERE.

2. Flowers

The most sustainable option for buying the perfect bouquet is to support a local flower shop and buy flowers that are in season. Another great option is to buy a living plant in a beautiful pot as a gift.

For a great local flower shop option in the Denver area, check out Bonnie Brae Flowers.

For a potted plant option, check out City Floral Garden Center.

3. Jewelry

Edge of Ember. I LOVE this company not only because each of the pieces are absolutely gorgeous, but because they use recycled metals to create their collections. I mean come on, they literally put “ethical and luxury” in the same sentence, you don’t see that combo often. Also, all of their deliveries and returns are carbon neutral. When you buy from Edge of Ember, you are shopping with sustainability in mind and you get to walk around wearing a limited edition piece from their collections.

Check out the current Edge of Ember collections HERE.

4. Chocolates

Chocolates are a staple when it comes to Valentine’s day. It’s easy to go to the grocery store for heart shaped chocolates, but there are two things you can do to make sure you are considering sustainability this year: support local chocolatiers or buy chocolate from a local chocolate shop that sources fair trade/sustainable chocolate from around the world.

One of my favorites is right here in the Denver, CO area called Bimbamba. I had the pleasure of meeting Patrick and Mara at a farmers market last summer and was able to purchase a bag of their chocolate bark. With sustainability in mind, their cacao is sourced from their own farm in Cameroon where they work to ensure that the well-being of their farmers is always at the forefront of their operations and the transport of products has minimal impact on the environment. You have to check out all of their flavors!

Get yours HERE.

5. Card

There are several options that come to mind to give your loved one a more sustainable card than conventional options available at grocery stores, check out these below:

Everyone loves a DIY card. It just shows that you put extra time and thought into your gift. Check out this blog post from GreenChildMagazine.com to get your DIY juices flowing if that’s the route you want take.

Another great option if you don’t have the time to create a card from scratch are these Seed Cards from Zero Market! They are literally the card that keeps on giving! After the card is read by the person you give it to, they can plant the card and watch a variety of flowers bloom a short time later! The type of cards and seeds available vary depending on what the shop has in stock at the time, but it’s basically two gifts in one when you go this route.

To get your own seed card, click HERE.

6. Date Night Bucket List

In this fun date night pack you get a pencil, idea sticks made of white birch, and 100% recycled cardboard container for storage. When you don’t want to give just a print out of a Groupon, this date night bucket list is a fun twist on gifting experiences to enjoy in the future with your significant other.

Get yours HERE.

7. Coffee

Almost everyone drinks coffee or tea these days so a bag of good quality roasted beans and a cute mug would make a really thoughtful and tasty gift for Valentines day.

Like the rest of the service industry during 2020, local coffee shops have been hit hard by the pandemic also. Supporting your local coffee shop would be the most sustainable option when purchasing coffee. Many coffee shops partner directly with growers, tend to value fair trade and organic more than mass produced brands, and the taste is always sooooo much better! Do you know why? Because mass produced coffee is usually roasted to the same level to appeal to the general population, whereas at a local coffee shop they pride themselves in serving quality and premium roasted beans that come in a variety of flavors and roast levels. I almost never buy coffee from a grocery store anymore unless I’m in a pinch because local coffee is so much tastier and I’m taking the environment into consideration with every cup of joe.

A few of my favorite coffee shops around Denver are: Moru Coffee, Rivers and Roads Coffee, Torpedo Coffee, and Kunjani Coffee. There are A LOT more around, just do a quick Google Search to find one in your area.

If you’re looking for a mug > check out @adastraartstudio

8. Wine

Wine is almost a staple for Valentine’s Day. While there are likely so many good options out there at your local liquor store, the company Proud Pour not only makes great wine, but they are doing it with the health of the environment in mind.

Their labels are a constant reminder of why you bought their wines in the first place. With Proud Pour Wines, choose from either the Pinot for Bees, the Rose for Reefs, Sauvignon Blanc to Save the Ocean, or Cider for Sea Turtles to enjoy with your loved one this Valentine’s Day. Also, keep checking back since this company is always working on bringing other options to their wine selection.

Get your perfect Proud Pour for Valentine’s Day HERE.

9. Candle

Did you know that around 9 million tons of glass enter landfills every year?? Also, did you know that pure glass is infinitely recyclable?? This means that there could be 9 million LESS tons of glass per year entering landfills if people repurposed or recycled glass properly.

These candles, also known as “growing candles”, by Hyggelight are one of my favorite sustainable options that aim to keep glass out of landfills. Not only do they come in a beautiful jar, the wax is 100% soy, the ingredients are non toxic, and… they are made to be repurposed as a pot for plants! The label around the outside of the candle can be planted into the pot since there are seeds embedded within the label.

Get yours HERE.

10. Craft Beer

The craft beer industry has been really popular in recent years, but it has also been hit extremely hard by the effects of the pandemic.

Supporting your local breweries by purchasing a six pack of your loved ones favorite brew is one of the best gifts to give your S.O.

Three of my favorite breweries around the Denver area are Dry Dock Brewing, Comrade Brewing, and Cerebral Brewing.

11. Give Experiences

As I get older, I am realizing how much the time that I spend with people matters more than a material gift. I’m not saying I don’t love giving and receiving gifts, because I definitely do! Haha. I’m just saying that it’s so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that taking the time to do something fun with a loved one can sometimes turn into a low priority.

By giving an experience (the gift of your time), you are intentionally prioritizing time with that person to do something fun! There are many sites out there that offer discounted rates on experiences like Groupon, etc., but consider looking at what events or classes local breweries, coffee shops, or boutiques have to offer.

For example, Dry Dock Brewing has a Galentines Day Event coming up that would be a fun girls night out!

12. Watches

So… sustainable watches DO exist and I’m excited to tell you about one of my favorite brands that is changing the industry.

Solios Watches sells mens and womens designs that bring style and sustainability together by making solar powered watches. Most watches will go through up to 20 batteries throughout their lifetime, but Solio Watches use one battery that is constantly recharged using the sun’s energy. It doesn’t stop there because they offer watch bands made of either a mesh fabric or non-toxic vegan leather to match the watch face you choose.

For men’s watches, get yours HERE.

For women’s watches, get your HERE.

13. Art Pieces

If you don’t want to go the traditional route of giving flowers for this Valentines Day, perhaps giving your loved one a one of a kind art piece from a local artist. I LOVE supporting local artists!!

Check out a couple of my current faves for gorgeous, local, one of a kind pieces that add beauty to any living space: @daezedoodles and @ashleyjoonart

14. Lingerie

If you’re looking to buy lingerie for this Valentine’s day, buying from a sustainable fashion brand is essential. The fashion industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to impact on the environment. With issues that have come to light regarding fast fashion that include forced labor, poor working conditions for workers, low quality materials, and toxic chemicals leaked into the environment, the best way to make a positive impact as a consumer is to buy from sustainable fashion brands.

Sustainable fashion brands take the whole experience into account from workers health to material quality to impact on the environment. You can make a large impact by simply switching where you buy your clothing.

Check out these sustainable fashion brands that specialize in lingerie: Azure Bay and Nkimode

15. Camera

This recommendation may be considered the most random in the bunch; however, I believe it could be one of the best.

If your loved one is into photography or simply loves capturing life’s moments, a quality camera levels up the whole experience. As a blogger, photography has been an area that I have been becoming more and more interested in and a good camera makes the whole experience so enjoyable and rewarding. With a good camera, dare I say you capture the emotion behind the picture not just the object or person at face value.

Based on a recommendation from a very trusted source (check out @harrison for photography recommendations and tips), for a great all around/ride or die camera, click HERE.

Why Fujifilm? Because buying quality lasts and “at Fujifilm we are working to shrink our carbon footprint and water footprint, use natural resources and packaging materials more efficiently, and minimize waste generation and environmental risk”. They have a whole tab on the main page of their website that you can find HERE that addresses their approach to addressing sustainability in their production and processes.

And finally…

I hope this gift guide helped you to find what you’ve been searching for or inspired you to create your own Valentines gift based on these ideas. I had a lot of fun pulling this gift guide together so you can count on seeing more like this in the future.

If you know of any sustainable gifts that I should check out, let me know! Companies and entrepreneurs are always coming out of the woodworks to shake up their industries by bringing sustainability to the forefront. So let me know of your favorite sustainable products below in the comments!

Click HERE to subscribe to my blog for future zero waste, sustainable, and plastic-free tips, tricks, and reviews of alternatives to products that we use everyday.

Until next time,

Kylie Bee

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