Hello!
Happy Valentine's Day, Switchies!
You're probably wondering how I could possibly tie climate change to this day? Hold on to your hearts as I've managed to find an angle, and one that's personal too.
I spoke to Yana Daryeva of YD Event Management about the rise of eco-friendly weddings since I'm in the midst of planning my own nuptials.
"Over the last few years, a lot of people have asked for eco-friendly weddings as more clients want sustainable practices to save the environment," said Daryeva.
In the United States, the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that the average wedding produces approximately 63 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
In the United Kingdom, the Sustainable Wedding Alliance reports that the average wedding emits around 14.5 tons of CO2, which is comparable to the annual carbon footprint of three households.
Some of the practices Daryeva has recommended or spotted include digital invitations, attire made with sustainable sourced fabrics, eco-friendly party favors, reusable items and décor, minimalist décor, recycling stations, "green" or easily accessible locations to minimize transport emissions, locally sourced organic or plant-based food to name a few environmentally friendly wedding trends.
Google Trends showed an upward trajectory of searches for 'sustainable wedding' since January 2009, which was the first time it recorded its use, to a consistent increase over the last five years.
There's also been the creation of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance which organized a summit last week in London, indicating a growing interest in eco-friendly wedding practices for professionals in the industry.
"Eco-friendly weddings maximize joy and minimize your carbon footprint," said Daryeva. "True love is ever lasting, and I want that for our planet too."
In keeping with the theme of Valentine's Day, click here for an article by Reuters digital special projects editor Lauren Young on whether we can actually afford to celebrate this day as inflation is affecting couples' plans.
Keep scrolling for more climate stories from Shell's oil spill in Nigeria lawsuit in Britain to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency clawing back $20 billion in climate funding.
Posts
