Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and Waste Management would like to share a few green reminders on the giving side, especially if the environment is his or her thing.
“Valentine’s Day doesn’t produce as much waste as Christmas or even Easter, but when you consider what goes into a card or some flowers, it’s easy to understand that a few small changes make a big difference for the environment,” said Rebecca Jewell, recycling programs manager, Waste Management.
Alternative Valentine’s Day gifts can reduce energy consumption and use of chemicals and pesticides, and also support fair labor practices in countries that produce flowers, gems and precious metals for jewelry.
- Buy cards made from recycled paper – and recycling the cards instead of throwing them out significantly reduces the amount of holiday-generated waste.
- Consider buying heirloom jewelry from a vintage jewelry dealer. If you want to buy new, choose a jeweler whose gems and precious metals are certified ecologically friendly.
- Consider buying organic flowers, which helps support farmers who are leading the way to sustainability.
- Don’t forget to recycle that box of chocolates. But the shiny chocolate wrappers have to go with the trash.
“You can be good to your loved ones and the environment on Valentine’s Day without shortchanging either of them,” said Jewell. “It just takes a little forethought and creativity.”
ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are the largest residential recycler and also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill-gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more visit www.wm.com.
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