An ethical Valentine's Day

A table for 8pm in the name of COG, thank you.

Let's start our romantic cruise with the unmissable and symbolic Valentine's Day dinner for two.

For the occasion, we reserve a table in a great address, and if we're going to treat ourselves, we might as well treat ourselves while taking care of the planet and animal species.

Goal: 100% pleasure, 0 guilt!

For this gourmet introduction, rather than opting for a meat-based menu, the environmental impact of which can be severe, we try to introduce our other half to the vegetarian or vegan menu made up of seasonal dishes.

Fortunately, today, there is no longer a shortage of plant-based alternatives, and veggie and vegan cuisine now also has its representatives in the world of haute cuisine; like the idyllic Culina Hortus in Lyon, from ONA in Arès near Bordeaux, or The Arpeggio in Paris.

Also to be discovered in the capital at more affordable prices, the very friendly 42 Degrees (100% raw and vegan cuisine) and The vegetable slaughterhouse.

Of course, for an exceptional outing, we mention exceptional restaurants here, but there are a thousand other addresses of plant-based cuisine restaurants, all just as nice and accessible for smaller budgets.

We'll let you rummage around and share your favorite addresses with us in the comments; and if you're lacking inspiration, the great site VegOresto will allow you to discover the perfect vegetarian restaurant near you ;)

Time for wild flowers and indoor plants.

What could be more beautiful than a field of flowers and its graceful palette of colors rippling in the wind?

For this day like no other, we suggest you play it romantic like no other, and preserve this splendid natural picture by leaving the flowers in their meadow rather than shortening their life to a few days spent in a vase. Especially since this will avoid some harm to the planet since as reported this article from France 24, no less than 12 billion flowers are imported each year from distant countries such as Kenya or Israel, and that no regulation to date limits the doses of pesticides that can be used, even for flowers grown in Europe. Pollution of soil and air, the ecological rating of the floral sector is therefore not left out.

But then, what can you replace the usual Valentine's Day bouquet with to declare your love to the chosen one of your heart? It's time to play the originality card by thinking natural, but also sustainable, by offering a beautiful indoor plant - accompanied of course by its inseparable word of love - which will have the merit, in addition to passing the years, of reviving in your partner the memory of this occasion like no other, with each watering.

For a romantic touch, we recommend you take a look at the website Bycharlot, which offers you to personalize your plant by adding a personalized word on a pretty colored pot. A thought that will not fail to have its little effect.  It's up to you to choose the variety(ies) best suited to your expectations based on the desired aesthetic, ease of maintenance, size and light of the room for which the plant is intended.

Kindness in a bottle.

Another famous and classic gift for Valentine's Day: perfume.

Personal and captivating, the world of perfumery represents an incredible universe of sensory exploration.

However, with the industrialization of the market, essences, originally produced from natural flowers and aromatic plants, have given way to synthesized scents, which can prove to be harmful to the planet, but also sometimes to our health and our lungs.

Fortunately, some brands such as 100Good prefer to focus on quality by emphasizing respect for the body and the environment in the creation of their fragrances.

Their bottles are cruelty free, natural and refillable.

All that remains is to find the ideal scent to intoxicate your partner..

Ethics, from the plate...to the feet.

Digital montage, no flower or petal suffered to make this photo :)

And what if, after our tête-à-tête meal without candles, we ended the evening with a little clothing gift.

We see you coming, where Valentine's Day and fashion meet, you say to yourself "finally they are talking to us about naughty lingerie!"

It could have been the case, but unfortunately we'll pass on this one this time, since here we're going to approach the issue of ethically sewn clothing in a more global way. So you'll have to play on curiosity to find the perfect ski socks, pyjama-combi, or kangaroo briefs to end this evening on a torrid note with your loved one ;)

Well, we were saying; if you want to offer a piece of clothing, why not combine ethics with pleasure, by offering a piece made according to responsible criteria.

For the newbies, let's remember that fashion is the second most polluting sector in the world after oil, with 1.2 billion tons of CO2 generated per year! So if you're going to please, you might as well do it without adding to the environmental bill.

Today, fortunately, there are many committed brands which, like COG, through European manufacturing and taking into account the well-being of workers, the use of recycled and ecological materials, or even the choice of using only vegan alternatives.

Eco-responsible clothing, underwear, bags, accessories and shoes now have their representatives, and by being a little curious, we can easily find alternatives to create, or in this case, offer pretty wardrobe items that are ethically made, in a supportive environment.

If we don't do the work for you, by letting you search the web to find the eco-responsible gem(s) that best match your loved one's tastes, we can still recommend a very nice little up-and-coming brand of  shoes eco-responsible ;  City shoes women/man Made in Europe, sneakers made from plastic bottles fished out of the sea and recycled cork, 100% vegan materials, they have what it takes to ethically and elegantly dress your soulmate's feet in any season.

Ok, we couldn't resist the temptation to advertise ourselves a bit, it doesn't cost anything apparently, but seriously, if buying new is sometimes necessary; second-hand is certainly a way of consuming that is just as - if not more - ecological and virtuous for the planet. So why not spoil your sweetheart with a brand new second-hand item? Bravo for the COG oxymoron!

Local thrift stores, online resale sites, there are many ways to find the perfect outfit to dress your partner, while doing something for the planet.

You have probably already heard of the now famous resale site Vinted, but many other online thrift stores exist, such as OnceAgain,  Or  you will find hundreds of second-hand items in excellent condition, even new, and sometimes at ridiculously low prices.

To remain ecological, however, beware of the rebound effect and do not fall into the trap of buying more because it is cheaper; because new or second-hand, ethical clothing will always be the ones we wear, and not the ones we buy to pile up in a closet.

The gourmet present.

If there is one gift that is generally unanimously accepted and will certainly delight your partner, it is chocolate!

Although cocoa beans do not grow in our latitudes, consumed occasionally, in a ballotin or in a bar, chocolate makes a very nice gift, provided that we do not forget to read the labels to see if the secret ingredient is there, we are obviously talking about the ethics of production.

Fair trade from Artisans of the World, vegan and organic at IChoc, chocolate is only tastier when it is made responsibly; because it is neither always ecological nor always cultivated in an altruistic framework, as the documentary shows. The hidden side of chocolate, released in 2010.

Finally, why not accompany this rounded gift with a light and zen note such as an assortment of teas?

Antioxidant, anti-stress…the list of benefits of this age-old drink is long.

Whether or not tea is your partner's guilty pleasure, why not introduce them to the brand? The other tea or the organic brand 4:24 p.m. and their boxes with delicate flavors? Their manufacturing ethics go from ecology  to the consideration of the people in charge of picking, through to giving work to people with disabilities in the context of bagging their products.

Very nice values, for a gift full of virtues and gentleness.