Valentine's Carbon Footprint Showdown: Showing Your Love for People and the Planet

TL;DR: 

This Valentine’s Day, your gift choice has a bigger impact than you may think. Flowers and chocolates may be romantic, but they also carry environmental and social footprints that go beyond the moment. Which one is the more sustainable way to say "I love you"? We ran the numbers—and the results may surprise you.

The stores are filled with hearts, shop windows glow with red and pink, and the warmth of love melts winter’s chill. Valentine's Day is here, bringing with it the age-old question: Will it be a classic bouquet of roses or a decadent box of chocolates?

Valentine’s Day is all about love—grand gestures, sweet surprises, and little tokens of affection. But have you ever wondered about the journey behind those classic gifts? From vibrant roses to indulgent chocolates, each carries a story beyond romance. This year, let’s explore how to celebrate love while keeping the planet in mind.

Our Lovely Contenders: Flowers vs. Chocolates

In this Valentine's-inspired carbon footprint showdown, we're pitting two beloved romantic gifts against each other: the timeless box of chocolates. and the classic bouquet of flowers. Which will emerge as the champion of eco-friendly affection? Let the battle of love begin!

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates—But Is It Sweet for the Climate?

Presenting our first contender -- a box of chocolates. The decadence of this Valentine's staple appeals to the masses year round, with a global market size estimated at $119 billion and growing. Besides making for a delicious gift, few people need a special occasion to indulge, turning to chocolate to reduce stress and elevate moods (moderate chocolate consumption has shown to increase serotonin!)

The environmental impact is not to be truffled with. We calculated that the lifecycle of an average Valentine's themed chocolate gift box hits 3.4 kg CO₂e. In this contender's favor, the product is generally shelf-stable and does not require refrigeration. And in waste disposal? Eating through every last chocolate ensures that the end of life footprint is only applicable for the product packaging.

Now that we've seen the carbon cost of chocolates, let's see if the grass is greener on the other side.

Is Everything Coming up Roses?

Enter our next contender and go-to Valentine’s gift: a bouquet of roses. There’s no denying their romantic appeal—after all, they’ve symbolized love for centuries. And they’re not falling out of favor anytime soon: the global flower industry is blooming, valued at over $31 billion in 2023 and expected to reach $53 billion by 2032. Occasions like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day lead the way in flower sales, with roses dominating as the most popular of purchases.

But fresh-cut flowers come with a carbon cost, especially since Valentine's Day falls out in the heart of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. As a result, less than half of the flowers sold in Europe in February are coming from within Europe (e.g. Netherlands) and are likely grown in energy-intensive greenhouses. The majority of the supply, however, is being flown in from Kenya, the leading supplier of cut roses in the European Union. Since their value depends on their freshness, flowers are sent en masse by high-emitting air travel that requires non-stop refrigeration.

We did the math, and found that an average £15 mixed bouquet made up of 10 roses, 6 lilies and 3 gypsophila (baby's breath) emits 38.80 kg CO₂e during its lifetime.

While at first glance, flowers seem like the ultimate romantic gesture, the reality is more complex when you consider their high carbon footprint and the social challenges behind their production. Let's dive deeper into the social impact.

The Social Factor

When comparing the carbon footprints of these two Valentine’s gift options, it's important to remember that sustainability isn't just about CO₂ emissions. While the "E" (Environmental) impact offers valuable insights, looking at the "S" (Social) dimension provides a more complete picture of the challenges faced by workers in the flower and chocolate industries.

Workers in both industries often face significant social inequalities, including exposure to toxic pesticides, grueling work conditions, high instances of child labor, and low incomes. However, organizations like Fairtrade International help address these issues by ensuring fairer conditions, such as preventing child and forced labor, establishing minimum pricing to support a living wage, and providing protective equipment against harmful chemicals.

These social considerations highlight the importance of choosing ethically sourced gifts that support better labor practices. So, when selecting your Valentine's treat, it's worth asking not just which has a lower carbon footprint, but which offers a fairer, more ethical choice for the people behind the product.

About This Valentine's Carbon Footprint Comparison: Doing the Math

This simulation is inspired by the C-mulator™, an innovative carbon footprint simulation tool by ECO-OS that empowers marketing and sales teams to demonstrate the impact of the advanced, sustainability-optimized material choices - in real-time.

Methodology and Results

For this winter warming showdown, we assumed:

1. Flowers: Bouquet composition of 10 roses, 6 lilies and 3 gypsophila. Grown during February and imported to the EU from Great Britain, Netherlands and Kenya. Average weight 355 g. Packaging: plastic film and paper.

2. Chocolate: 14-piece Valentine's Day gift box of chocolates, cocoa grown internationally and chocolate produced in Europe. Average weight 335 g. Packaging: plastic and cardboard.

3. Emission factors sourced Swinn, Rebecca. 2017. Life Cycle analysis of cut flower CO2 equivalent emissions. Lancaster University.; UK Government 2024 GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting; Statista; Carbon Cloud

4. Social factors: Fair Trade International

Here's how the results stacked up:

We hereby declare the Box of Chocolates as the official winner of this Valentine's Day carbon footprint showdown!