From Roses to Rubbish: Examining the Waste Produced by Valentine’s Day.

Rianna Samsingh
Feb 14, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jun 10, 2024

The 14th of February is marked on calendars globally as the day of love and

affection and we go to great lengths to display our expressions of said feelings

to those we hold dear to us. From flowers and chocolates to teddy bears and

store-bought cards, the general population seems to have no issue in spending

on these products annually. However, the real issue lies in the wake of this

romantic holiday; if I were to ask you where the flowers you received five years

ago ended up, you would tell me they dried out and you had to throw them

away. Valentine’s Day generates incredulous amounts of waste every year due

to the manipulation of corporate and commercial entities over the public,

which eventually results in overconsumption.

The media and corporations wield significant influence in the initial persuasion.

From the 1st of February, the television and radio are filled with

Valentine's day themed advertisements convincing you that roses and

heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are the best and only ways to show

appreciation for your loved ones. Through targeted advertising campaigns,

romanticised depictions in movies and television shows, and social media

influencers showcasing extravagant gestures, they create an atmosphere of

expectation and desire surrounding the holiday. Messages emphasising the

importance of expressing love through material gifts, such as flowers,

chocolates and greeting cards saturate various media platforms, instilling a

sense of obligation to participate in consumerist rituals. Additionally,

corporations capitalise on societal norms and cultural expectations, leveraging

the emotional significance of Valentine's Day to drive sales and generate

profits. By perpetuating the notion that love is synonymous with

consumerism, the media and corporations play a pivotal role in convincing

people to allocate their resources towards purchasing gifts and experiences,

often leading to excessive spending and the covering of our landfills in pink

and red by February 15th.

Each year, around a billion valentines are sent globally, making Valentine’s

Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.

Valentine’s Day is also the top holiday for buying fresh flowers with red roses

being most popular. Around 100 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day,

producing 9,000 metric tons of CO2 which contribute to global warming. On

average, Valentine’s Day pushes an additional nine million kilograms of

Carbon Dioxide into our atmosphere annually. From the burning of cards and empty chocolate boxes in our landfills to the fuel needed to ship fresh flowers

from across the globe, not to mention that many are commercially grown in

greenhouses heated by natural gas, releasing thousands of kilograms of CO2.

Valentine’s Day seems to be the day of love for everyone except our planet.

Furthermore, these gifts are often manufactured in developing countries

where workers are mistreated and paid little to nothing, completely

contradicting the original intention behind those items. This can result in poor

working conditions such as cramped work environments, grueling hours and

physical abuse, often including children. In regions where flowers are grown,

such as Africa and South America, workers may face exposure to harmful

pesticides and long hours in the fields for minimal pay.

Similarly, approximately 1.5 million children are working on cocoa plantations

in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, alone. On some cocoa farms, children as young as

eight are trafficked to harvest cocoa beans and instead of attending school,

they are forced to work up to 12 hours a day. These harsh realities underscore

the ethical complexities of consumerism, prompting calls for greater

transparency and accountability in global supply chains.

Spending money on material Valentine's gifts is excessive and unnecessary

due to its superficiality and detachment from the true essence of love and

affection. While the sentiment behind gift-giving can be genuine, the emphasis

on material possessions as symbols of love detracts from the intrinsic value of

relationships. In most cases, these extravagant gifts are purchased out of social

obligation or pressure rather than genuine sentiment, leading to the current

culture of over-consumption and waste.

Rather than equating love with material possessions, there is a growing

recognition of the importance of meaningful experiences in creating deep and

lasting connections.

Simple gestures, such as sharing a home-cooked dinner, handmade cards and swapping cut flowers for potted plants can often hold more significance and create lasting memories without the need for extravagant spending.

Ultimately, shifting away from materialism towards

more thoughtful and sustainable expressions of love can promote greater

authenticity and fulfilment in relationships while reducing the societal

pressure to engage in excessive consumption.

References:

The Environmental Impacts of Valentine’s Day and How You can Help

https://blog.complt.com/the-environmental-impact-of-valentines-day-and-ho

w-you-can-help

Learn to Love a Low-waste Valentine’s Day

https://blog.complt.com/the-environmental-impact-of-valentines-day-and-ho

w-you-can-help

Recycle Your Valentine’s Day