Next week is Valentine's Day, when many people like to express their appreciation of loved ones with a card and gift - often chocolates or flowers.

Most people enjoy receiving cards on special occasions (not necessarily Valentine's Day, but for birthdays, or 'Get Wells' or 'Thank yous'). Please consider buying (or making) cards with no glitter or plastic embellishments, as this makes then unrecyclable. Also, how about checking whether any chocolate you plan to buy is made with palm oil (its production is destructive to the environment). Check here: Palm Oil Free Chocolate | Ethical Consumer

Imported flowers clock up a lot of travel, so how about looking for flowers that are grown more locally? Obviously this is a challenge in February, but a small plant is also cheerful and lasts so much longer.