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Valentine's Day Celebrations

Valentine's day is just around the corner. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. We try to show each other our love throughout the year. We also try not to buy each other gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or Valentines Day or anniversaries unless there's something we really want. But I understand it's still an important way for many people to show they care.

If you do want to buy something special there are a few choices you can make to reduce your impact and I promise they won't make it any less romantic.

Here are my quick tips for a sustainable Valentine’s Day:

• Give flowers a miss this Valentine’s Day, or pick some from your garden instead.
• Avoid anything with glitter on it, it's basically microplastics!
• Avoid balloons, particularly those filled with helium.
• Skip the novelty gifts, they might seem fun but are a form of single-use.
• Choose loose chocolates with less packaging.
• Buy your loved one an experience and create a memory. Plan a picnic, dinner out or a weekend getaway.
• Find a cute second-hand gift.
• Buy a recycled gift, check out my recycled brand directory for some ideas.
• Make your own gift or maybe even upcycle something.

For more ideas read my article Celebrate Love with this Guide to a Sustainable Valentine’s Day​

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Is There a Way to Make Fast Fashion More Sustainable??

I make a conscious effort to avoid fast fashion, opting instead for second-hand clothing. So when I hear brands like Shein, H&M, or Temu mentioned, I can’t help but cringe.

I recently read that Shein, in collaboration with Donghua University, has developed a polyester recycling process. The company aims to use this method to increase the recycled polyester content in its products to 31% by 2030. While I support greater use of recycled materials, I see several issues with their approach. Read my article below and let me know your thoughts on whether this move is positive.

What I've been up to

• I've added The Shrinker! to my shop! This clever tool by Wholly Shrink helps you collect and compress your soft plastics, making storage and recycling easier. If you’re waiting for a recycling program, it’s a must-have. If you already have one, The Shrinker! simplifies transport to the drop-off point. Highly recommended!
• I've been doing some minor renovations and although I was not able to find a suitable place to recycle my old carpet I was very excited to be able to choose Econyl recycled carpet to replace the old carpet. See below for my article on carpets and how you might be able to recycle them depending on your location.

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What I'm reading

• This is great news - Government takes strong stance against controversial import: 'Urgent action is needed'​
• ​Samsung starts battery-to-battery cobalt recycling​
• ​10 technological innovations shaping waste management in 2025​
• ​Plastics, recycling industries speak out on tariffs​
• ​Right-to-repair movement continues to grow​
• ​Rare Earth Metal Recovery: How E-Waste Recycling Fuels the Tech Industry’s Future​

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Catch up on your reading

Is Hard Plastic Recyclable: A Simple 3-Step Guide to Recycling Right Read article

How to Dispose of Carpets: A Guide for Recycling Old Carpets Read article

Don't forget to grab a copy of my book! It would make a great Christmas Present. It's available online and in stores at most good bookstores. If you've already got your copy, please leave a review so others can find it. ​Learn more here.