End Plastics
Eat, Pray, Love: How to Keep Chemicals Out of Valentines
February 13, 2025
Valentine’s Day is marked every February 14th, as the annual day set aside to celebrate romantic love and comes around every year adorned with hearts, flowers, and enough plastic to make a sea turtle cry. From glossy heart-shaped chocolate boxes to roses swaddled in cellophane, we’ve allowed synthetic polymers to infiltrate our most loved up day.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing lovely about plastics. In fact there is mounting evidence that suggests plastics aren’t just a trash problem, which is bad for the environment and aforementioned sea turtles, but for human health too. Plastics are associated with a whole range of health issues that impact our hearts, our hormones, and even our fertility.
If love is in the air, so too are microplastics. The problem is we are breathing them in. And ingesting them, too. Here’s what every romantic out there should know about plastics before they buy their partner a Valentine’s gift this year.
Plastic Hearts
Recent studies have uncovered that microplastics are not just polluting our oceans but also our bodies. Scientists have detected microplastic particles in our blood and our lung tissue but our cardiovascular system is particularly vulnerable.
One recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that microplastics in the bloodstream can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Emerging research also suggests they may exacerbate other chronic conditions such as immune system dysfunction, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, raising concerns about their long-term effects on human health.
A Hormonal Wrecking Ball
Romance relies heavily on the power of hormones, those invisible chemical matchmakers that course around our bodies and amongst other things, fuel attraction, passion, and connection. But some common plastic chemicals have a knack for disrupting this delicate process known as the endocrine system.
Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, both plastic chemicals commonly found in plastic food containers, packaging, and cosmetics, are known endocrine disruptors. They mimic or interfere with the body’s natural hormones, particularly estrogen and testosterone. The result? Mood swings, reduced libido, and fertility challenges that can strain even the strongest relationships.
For men, phthalates have been linked to lower sperm counts and poor sperm quality. For women, BPA exposure has been associated with disrupted ovulation and pregnancy complications. These chemicals threaten reproductive health, and their results, for example, the ability to get pregnant, can potentially undermine human relationships too.
So, if you are taking home flowers this Valentine wrap them in brown paper, not plastic wrapping. Or give a living plant in a ceramic pot.
From the Bedroom to the Kitchen
Most of us know that the way to true love is really controlled through the stomach. But the problem is that increasingly our food is contaminated with plastics too – it’s omnipresent. It’s in the packaging that wraps all our food, the containers that store our leftovers, the wrappers that preserve our chocolates. It even coats the receipts we handle while purchasing Valentine’s gifts.
Just remember, too, that often the Valentine’s candy on the shelves contains dyes that might not be good for us either. Skittles contain Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40. These dyes are linked to hyperactivity in children, migraines, and hives. Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, also known as tartrazine, are restricted in parts of Europe and in the UK and EU foods that use them require a warning label on them. These dyes are banned in Austria and Norway; in fact, Skittles are banned across the EU. In 2022, the EU also banned titanium dioxide as a food additive. Sour Patch Kids, Starburst, Swedish Fish, and Trolli gummies all contain this ingredient, which is linked to intestinal inflammation, immune system damage, and cancer. Not something you want to trigger in your partner on date night.
We need the FDA and the US government to protect the public from these dangerous dyes and microplastics in our food. It’s contaminating our food chain. We need more action to put people’s health above corporate profits. Not just for Valentine’s Day but every day.
Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG
If you are cooking a home cooked meal for your loved one this year – remember microplastics are even shed from the plastic utensils we use in the kitchen, plastic chopping boards and plastic materials even line the non-stick pan we might be frying our favorite foods in.
So audit your kitchenware and remove the plastics this Valentine, it might be the most romantic thing you can do for your loved one’s long term health!
And be mindful of taking short-cuts on cooking, too as there are ingredients in there you might want to avoid too! Stove Top stuffing contains the flavor enhancers and preservatives BHA and BHT, which are subject to restrictions in Europe and Japan. BHA has been used in American foods since 1947, but has been listed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as “reasonably anticipated” to be a carcinogen. Other studies have claimed these additives are harmful to the circulatory system.
The fluffy, buttery Pillsbury biscuits enjoyed by many Americans are outright banned in several European countries like Austria, Norway, and Denmark. Why? Because the biscuits contain trans-fats in the form of hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils. In 2015, the FDA deemed that these oils, which are the main source of trans-fats in manufactured food, are not regarded as safe and required the industry to phase them out of food by 2020. But foods can still be sold with half a gram of trans-fat or less per serving. Trans-fats are linked to high cholesterol levels and heart disease.
The cumulative effect of all of these encounters is a real cause for concern. So, this Valentine’s Day, reimagine how you express your love – not just for your partner, but for your planet and yourself. Here are a few simple ways to celebrate without synthetics ruining the day.
Choose plastic-free gifts – opt for living plants in non-plastic pots or locally made chocolates without plastic packaging. Rethink your table setting – use real glassware and stainless steel instead of plastic cups and cutlery. It’s much more romantic, anyway. Ditch single-use items completely and consider reusable or biodegradable alternatives like candles or cards. If you want to spread the love further, consider supporting EARTHDAY.ORG – you can join the movement for free, or you can even make a donation in your loved one’s name:
You can also visit EARTHDAY.ORG’s End Plastic Initiatives website for free facts sheets and information and to learn more about plastics, their impacts on our health, and how you can take action to minimize it.
The journey to a plastic-free life may not happen overnight, but every small, mindful change we make adds up to something truly transformative. It’s not just about swapping one product for another — it’s about rethinking how we interact with the world around us. In a season dedicated to love, what could be more romantic than protecting the health of our planet and future generations?
True love isn’t just in what we give but in what we protect — and there’s no greater gift we can offer than a cleaner, healthier world for those who come after us. Let’s make this year’s Valentine’s Day a promise: one small, intentional change at a time; we can create a future filled with love, health, and way less plastic!
