#BetterThanRoses: 5 Socially and Environmentally Conscious Gift Ideas for Valentines

Valentines Day 2019 is around the corner, and while the classic gift ideas of roses, chocolate, and stuffed toys will likely continue to be popular, there are also some more sustainable and impactful gifts to consider!

So, without further ado, here are our top five picks for a sustainable gift for the special someone in your life who wants to make the world a better place!

1. Donate to a cause in their honor

One way to ensure that your gift is memorable and has an impact is to make a donation to a cause your special someone cares about. From education to environmental sustainability, to gender and community activism, you can be sure there is a committed organization working to make a positive change in that field.

Make sure to check that your chosen organization is a registered non-profit and that it is Certified Transparent, by a body such as Excellence in Giving.

Students at the Akilah Institute, where Africa’s future female leaders are educated

The Akilah Foundation ticks all these boxes, and it supports the operations of the Akilah Institute, Rwanda’s only women’s college. At the Akilah Institute, we educate Africa’s future female leaders to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, through a lens of opportunity and sustainability.

So if your loved one feels strongly about sustainability and women’s education, why not make a gift in their honor? They will receive an email confirmation certificate and a thank you card from Akilah.

2. Go on volunteering date or trip together

Spread the love by doing some good together with your partner! There are several options to consider, from taking part in a park or beach cleanup to building a home together, and everything in between. We recommend checking out GoodDeedsDay.org or VolunteerMatch.org as excellent starting points to find your perfect volunteering date.

Sierra Club Volunteer trip to Tanzania

If you’d like to make a trip of it (on Valentines Day or later in the year), you can also look into the Sierra Club, Pod Volunteer and VolunteerHQ.org, for volunteer trips ranging from rugged to cushy in the United States and abroad.

3. Give a sustainable or recycled present

Valentine’s Day is devoted to love, but for the environment, Valentine’s Day is bad news. From the billions of cards that are read and thrown away, to heavy-industry reliant chocolates and roses that are shipped across the world in ozone-damaging temperature controlled containers, the impact on the planet adds up fast. Fortunately, there are countless sustainably sourced, recycled and recyclable gift ideas available.

Of course, we recommend checking out the Akilah Campus Store, for a selection of environmentally responsible gifts! All proceeds go towards supporting the education of Africa’s future female leaders!

Recycled cotton tote bag from the Akilah Campus Store

If you’re looking for something fancier, you will definitely want to look at some of the beautiful gifts at St.Frank. The team at St Frank works with artisans from around the world to bring together sustainable fabrics and decor pieces that have a low environmental footprint and that help the social and economic development of communities.

4. Plant something together

Planting something together means you and your loved one can watch it grow and see the joy it brings for many years to come. It also helps the important drive for the reforestation of the planet, as a key initiative to fight climate change and create healthier communities.

There are several options to consider, such as starting an urban vegetable garden.

Of course, planting a tree together is a popular and affordable option. According to Tree In A Box, “a single tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, this means that one tree can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old!”

Photo courtesy of One Tree Planted

Check out OneTreePlanted.org and Tree In A Box for some beautiful tree planting kit gift options.

5. Netflix and chill

Sometimes, there is no better way to spend Valentines than by taking the Day off and cuddling on the couch. If that’s the plan for this year, why not use the opportunity to watch something that is both entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time! We love this list by Conscious Magazine of five socially conscious films currently streaming on Netflix, we can particularly recommend the excellent 2013 film Girl Rising, directed by Richard E. Robbins.

At the Akilah Institute, we educate Africa’s future female leaders to solve the world’s most pressing problems, through a lens of sustainability and opportunity. The Akilah Foundation is a registered non-profit in the United States.