From chocolate boxes to bunches of flowers, many Valentine’s gifts ultimately end up in the bin, contributing to the 45.8m tonnes of waste sent to UK landfills each year.

The new Circular Economy Directory, developed by the BLUEPRINT Team at Essex County Council (ECC), is helping to reverse these statistics and help Essex residents shop sustainably for Valentine’s and beyond.

From refill stations and farm shops to zero-waste gifting platforms and repair services, the directory showcases businesses helping the county transition to a circular economy. This is the principle of designing out waste and pollution by reusing, repairing and recycling existing resources.

The directory has been developed by the BLUEPRINT to a Circular Economy Project. Led by Essex County Council, the project has a total budget of 5.6m euros, of which 3.8m euros were awarded by the European Regional Development Fund via the Interreg France (Channel) England programme.

Emma McKnight, founder of zero-waste gifting company Mission Better, one of the first Essex-based directory members, said: “It’s great to be listed alongside so many other fantastic local businesses.

“We hope the directory will help us to reach more shoppers in Essex and beyond who might be interested in our waste-free starter kits, sustainable gift wrapping and eco-friendly cards.”

Cllr Malcolm Buckley, ECC Cabinet Member for Waste Reduction and Recycling, added: “Unfortunately, many Valentine’s gifts, cards and wrapping will end up in landfill. We hope the Circular Economy Directory will help Essex residents to rethink their Valentine’s purchases, support local businesses and come together to tackle the nationwide waste issue.”

Find your sustainable Valentine’s gifts on the BLUEPRINT Circular Economy Directory at https://projectblueprint.eu/circular-economy-directory.