Shades of Green: Hearts Headed for the Heap
Can a family nix disposable displays of affection?
While the true history of Valentine’s Day is a bit unclear, the current holiday has been hyper-commercialized by greeting card companies. The first mass-produced valentines were sold in the U.S. in the 1800s, and things have exploded since then.
Now, when you ask someone to “be mine,” there’s an expectation of gifts: flowers, chocolates and cards. It’s estimated that 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year.
And it isn’t just about romantic love. There are now Galentine’s Day celebrations and special displays of platonic affection for your favorite coworkers.
But it’s kids that get into it the most. Across the country children are encouraged to give cards to each and every classmate. Some classes even have students make special mailboxes for the holiday.
Don’t get me wrong, teaching kids about love and kindness while ensuring no one is left out is awesome. I just wish school Valentine’s Day celebrations didn’t create so much waste.
Valentine’s Day has been hyper-commercialized by greeting card companies. About 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year.
Because with each classroom exchange is a group of parents cajoled into putting together 30-plus individually packaged, plastic-laden disposable valentines.
A few years ago, in a Pinterest-induced frenzy, I visited no fewer than three toy stores searching for small insects for my daughter’s “love bug” cards. Then there was the year she demanded temporary tattoos for everyone.
And don’t even get me started on the candy… Valentine’s Day night, after my preschooler has gone to bed, I can be found conveniently losing all the sugary sweets (straight into the bin). And the whole thing makes me feel double guilt. First for trashing my kid’s treats and second for contributing to unnecessary food waste.
This year, as the day approached and we started seeing pink and red lacy displays at every turn, I was filled with dread.
But it wasn’t just my flashbacks of late-night hot glue sessions and overzealous craft projects. I also started thinking about the bigger issue of Valentine’s Day: overconsumption. All of those disposable displays of affection. And for what? So our garbage could be filled with the remnants of cards, stickers and candy wrappers just a few days later.
I love showing the important people in my life how much they mean to me just as much as the next person. And I certainly don’t want to be that mom. So what was I to do? I didn’t want my daughter to be the only one left out of the holiday.
When we received a note from her teachers a week before Valentine’s Day, I got much-needed relief. Instead of a giant valentine exchange, the students were going to make holiday projects using recycled items. They asked parents to help provide supplies — scrap paper, confetti and pipe cleaners.
Not only was I getting a free pass to skip the crafting nightmare, but her class was avoiding a huge part of the holiday’s waste. You better believe I provided supplies (after a few years of homemade cards, I had plenty to share). I also pulled the head teacher aside to express my gratitude for the decision. I hope they’ll do the same thing next year.
There are other ways we can all help reduce the consumption that goes into celebrating Valentine’s Day. Make a card instead of buying one. Or, even better, tell the person you love how you feel directly. Skip the candy hearts and cut flowers and take that special someone for a walk at your favorite park. Cook dinner together. Plan a special activity with the person you love.
Cutting consumption doesn’t have to make you a kill-joy. Valentine’s Day traditions that show the Earth some love are actually more memorable.
These are small changes that can make a big difference (and they can even be applied to other holidays). Cutting consumption doesn’t have to make you a kill-joy. In fact, I’d argue Valentine’s Day traditions that show the Earth some love are actually more memorable.
My daughter has been wearing the necklace she made at school all week, and my husband and I really celebrated Valentine’s Day — for the first time this year we got a babysitter and went out.
But, of course, these changes would become a lot easier if companies made changes too. It’s only February 16, and already the picked-over heart displays are marked half off to make room for the next holiday theme. But to change that cycle we’ll have to chip away at demand.
And that starts with reclaiming the holiday with our loved ones and within our communities. From now on, our family is celebrating Valentine’s Day without pre-made cards, and we’re urging our school district to consider service projects instead of the valentine exchange.
The planet deserves more than holidays dependent on mass-produced cards and trash-bound plastic — and your love deserves better, too.
Jessica Herrera is a media specialist for the Center for Biological Diversity.
