Will You Green My Valentine?

Hey all, sorry it's been so long since I've posted to this blog. I've been preoccupied with the toddlers and other writing. But, I'm back to share with you a few products and tips that could green your Valentine's Day through reuse or recycling.

Recycled Elephant Poop Roses. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...even if it's made out of recycled elephant dung. I've heard of The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company before, but I just saw this link to their special Elephant Poo Paper Roses on Great Green Goods today. Made from a unique paper handmade from elephant poo (now that's a dirty job), these lovely flowers are odor free and sustainable. Check out the poo paper making process on the company's web site.

ABC News provides some simple tips for homemade Valentine's Gift items, including things made by reusing items you already have around the house.

Check out Etsy.com for unique, handmade cards and gifts to give to your sweetie. Many of the items on Etsy are made from reused/repurposed materials--try typing "reuse" into their site search box for a few examples. Type "valentines" into their search box for items that might be used to show your love. It's also worth noting that Etsy is partnering with Citymeals-on-Wheels this year for a project called Special Delivery. Folks could get involved by making cards to include with nutritious meals to be delivered to needy elderly New Yorkers. Unfortunately, the deadline has passed for making the cards and submitting them for this project, but I'm going to keep it in mind for next year, since I love to make cards and envelopes from reused materials.

It's too late to order cards for your kids to share at classroom Valentine's Day parties (sorry), but check out Stubby Pencil Studio's neat, color-your-own cards and consider bookmarking them for next year. Their cards feature cute black-and-white drawings on 100% recycled card stock that your little one can color before handing out to friends. While checking out their Valentine's cards, notice that they have cards for other occasions as well.

Read this article by Amber S. on Associated Content on How to Recycle and Reuse Your Valentines Day Candy Boxes.

For more green Valentine tips (not necessarily related to reuse) check out my "Be My Green Valentine" and "Red Roses, Green Hearts" posts from past years over on the GLRPPR Blog.