Author’s Bio - Angela Benjamin of Ange B Designs, is a sustainable jewellery designer and maker based in West London. Alongside her jewellery design business, she teaches one-day jewellery making workshops for beginners and has not bought any new clothes since 2019.

Full disclosure: I will start by saying that I have always been sceptical of the concept of Valentine’s Day - the idea of having one day of the year where someone who is meant to care about you romantically is mandated to express their feelings, never sat well with me. Getting ‘not-so-secret’ Valentine’s Day cards from my dad ( for many of my single years), served only to add to my dislike of this Hallmark-sponsored celebration.

Fastforward to the present day - although I still have my reservations about the commercialism surrounding this annual love fest, I realise that it’s here to stay. Rather than ignore or whinge about it, I thought I’d embrace it in the most ethical and sustainable way I can.

There is so much waste surrounding most of the holidays we celebrate, so I’ve got in touch with some lovely sustainable independent businesses to put together a guide to help you have a more eco-friendly Valentine’s Day…whether you’re in a relationship or not!

Put a (New) Ring on it…

It might seem odd to talk about heartbreak at the start of a blog about eco-friendly Valentine’s Day, but stick with me. If you’ve been in love, then you may have received jewellery to celebrate different stages of the relationship. However, when the relationship ends, what do you do with that jewellery? If you’re not ready for the dramatic movie-style ‘throwing the wedding ring into the ocean’ scene, then I may have a solution.

As a jewellery designer, whose brand is all about ethical making and sustainability, reworking heirloom and preloved jewellery pieces is my thing. We are all aware that the earth’s precious metals and gems are finite, so recycling old silver and gold is a great way to minimise waste. You may not have bought your wedding ring but you did invest time in the relationship. That same wedding ring could become a lovely unique pair of recycled gold earrings, to help you celebrate yourself and your new life.

Earrings made by me from recycled gold crowns!

(Pre)Love yourself

In my attempt to live my own business values, I started my ‘not buying new clothes’ journey back in 2019. As someone who loves fashion I thought it would be a real struggle relying on charity shops, eBay and the garments in my wardrobe to help me express my style. Thankfully with the rise in awareness of the environmentally damaging effects of fast fashion, buying good quality preloved clothes has got easier.

Stylish clothing rail display — Stunning Seconds at One Scoop Store

One Scoop Store is a fabulous example of an affordable, curated pre-loved clothing store. The founder, Holly Watkins, has been buying and selling secondhand clothing since her teenage years, and has seen attitudes to preloved change massively in recent times. Holly started One Scoop Store online around 5 years ago, and opened her bricks and mortar store in Stoke Newington, London in 2022. Since its inception, the store has featured in Vogue, The Guardian, Elle and The Times. A far cry from the overpacked rails of most high street charity shops, One Scoop Store is a light, airy boutique with stylish rails showcasing handpicked vintage and preloved clothing.

I asked Holly to curated her favourite sustainable outfit for a stylish solo Valentine’s Day, from items in her store (see gallery below) and share her thoughts on why preloved shopping is the way forward:

“There is more than enough clothing in existence in the world currently, so buying secondhand is by far the most sustainable option! It’s good for your pocket, and good for the planet!”

Love is in the air

If you’re idea of self-indulgence involves making your home environment cosy and inviting, then Kind Melts and founder Natalie Roberts, will definitely help you set the scene.

Natalie explained that Kind Melts is committed to providing a kinder option of home fragrance. Each of her stunning candle is hand poured using a sustainable, yet luxurious coconut wax blend and FSC certified wooden wicks. I asked Natalie to describe one of her favourite products:

“The Asteria wooden wick candle evokes feelings of a clear night sky, staring up at the vast expanse of darkness brought to light by infinite beautiful stars. A symbolic candle which can represent many different meanings, from bringing light to darkness, guidance to the lost or love written in the stars. Opening with cocoa and orange, leading to a heart of sweet jasmine, amber and the green aroma of cyclamen. A woody finish to this beautiful scent with Patchouli, Cedarwood and musk. Asteria creates a multi-sensory experience each time it is alight. Luxurious aromas fill the room whilst the soothing crackle of the wooden wick adds an extra dimension, the amber glass appearing to come alive with the soft flicker of the flame”

In addition to the eco-qualities of the products, Kind Melts gives back to nature directly; by planting a tree with each candle sold.

Candle in Glass Jar — Stellar Scents from Kind Melts

Labelled with Love

If you’re committed to loving the planet this Valentine’s day and want to gift someone an eco-friendly pamper experience, then look no further than Little Box of Joy. Brand founder of this award-winning curated gift box company Sarah Lewis, explained that the main reason for starting her business was to help spread joy to those who need it.

“we’ve always been super-conscious about the brands we work with and include in our gift boxes. They will always be chosen based on their ethical responsibility and commitment to the environment. For this reason, we do not include items that are mass-produced and you are also likely to discover some amazing brands that are not easily available on the high street”

The ‘Petite Spa Day’ gift box is perfect for those times when you could do with unwinding and having a quiet night in. Start with a soak in the bath with the pink detox vegan bath salts, by BIPOC plant-powered beauty brand Narloa. Nourish and brighten your face with a Lapcos facemask whilst nibbling on Artisan chocolate from Scottish brand Coco Chocolatier.

As well as providing a platform for small artisan brands, Little Box of Joy’s gift boxes are made from recycled cardboard and are designed to be re-used or re-gifted.

Premium Pamper package from Little Box of Joy

Full of Beans

If you’re looking for a self-indulgent eco-friendly Valentine’s Day gift to stimulate your tastebuds, then Coffee & Kin is on a mission to make more people smile with seriously tasty, planet-friendly coffee and chocolate. I asked Coffee & Kin’s founder Ruth Oldfield, what makes her brand so special:

“It’s not always easy to find really good quality coffee and chocolate. Some people don’t even know where to start. We do all the hard work for you and deliver your coffee and chocolate gift box straight to your door. Inside our Coffee & Chocolate Box, you’ll find a stunning selection of artisan coffee and chocolate from around the U.K, which promises to tantalise your taste buds and bring joy to your day! All our coffee is classed as speciality grade because it’s the best quality, ethical coffee that you can buy. You can choose from freshly roasted coffee beans, ground coffee or our award-winning nespresso® compatible, compostable coffee pods.

Each month, we showcase a small independent chocolatier. Customers can choose milk or dark chocolate or a mix of both. It's such a tasty and luxurious box, which makes a fabulous gift for someone you love or perfect treat to yourself! We’re also extremely proud to donate 10% of our profits to CALM, who are on a mission to unite the UK against suicide.”

Lift your spirits

If you want to avoid the cosy couples in overpriced restaurants this Valentine’s Day, why not raise a toast (or two!) with your friends at home instead. Liz Clarkson Interiors has the most stunning, reimagined iconic furniture to add the ‘wow’ factor to your eco-friendly Valentine’s Day event.

Brand founder Liz explained how home bars and cocktail cabinets were the height of sophistication during the 1960s - with their sleek lines, beautiful grains and drinks prep areas. With Liz Clarkson Interiors she sources mid-century Art Deco furniture and using her contemporary furniture artist skills, transforms once old drinks cabinets into sustainable and beautiful items.

“Owning your own drinks cabinet is equivalent to visiting your favourite bar - you get to choose the decor, the comfy seats and even the company. Why go out when you can host a cocktail party at home with your every own drinks cabinet!”

Liz Clarkson Interiors plant trees in the National Trust Woodlands with every sale.

Not so ‘Old Fashioned’ by Liz Clarkson Interiors

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be another ‘Hallmark holiday’, filled with empty gestures and cheesy throwaway gifts. If you’re not ‘loved up’ then why not treat yourself to some Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day indulgence, that will make you feel good AND be gentle on the planet!

How to put your values into Valentine’s Day