No matter your relationship to Valentine’s Day, I think it’s fair to say that most of us could use a little more love in the air. 

Unfortunately, the air is currently filled with a lot more carbon dioxide than that elusive lovey dovey feeling, thanks to the complicated and ongoing impacts of climate change. And holidays like Valentine’s Day aren’t helping. 

In fact, Plastic Oceans, a nonprofit working to end plastic pollution, reports that February 14, by itself, represents an increase of 9 million kilograms of carbon dioxide on top of everything “normally” released into the atmosphere.

Think of all the helium heart balloons, cheaply-assembled plush toys, candy wrappers, plastic gift wrap, and glitter sitting in landfills for hundreds of years on end. 

Way to crush our candy hearts, right? Gee thanks, Good Good Good.

But here’s the deal: There are plenty of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day (by yourself, with friends, or significant others) without having such a steep impact on the planet. 

We’re big fans of cute, meaningful displays of affection as much as the next optimist, so there’s no way we’d leave you hanging with climate doom on the day of love. 

We’re here with a list of ideas to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day with the planet (and your favorite people) in mind. Read on for some sustainable solutions to date night, gifts, and romance. 

By the way, some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase…