It’s 2020 and the world is slowly becoming more environmentally conscious. For most of us, it’s about creating better habits in our day-to-day lives with positive, sustainable changes.
The thing is, when was the last time you considered this when it came to choosing the place for your next date? I know I haven’t and chances are, it’s the same way for most of us.
In this article, I’m about to give you 7 fun date ideas that are also a positive for the environment. After all, the more areas of our lives where we can make this a priority, the smaller our footprints can be.
Heck, if Las Vegas can work on going green, I don’t see why it’d be a struggle for the rest of us!
Go on a picnic
Not just any old picnic but a zero-waste picnic, at that. If you’ve never tried this before, the challenge in itself can be part of the fun.
While being truly zero-waste might not be practical, the closer you can get the better. Rather than disposable plastic cutlery and cling wrap, find better solutions. Reusable containers, regular cutlery and beeswax wraps all make a big difference.
You could even take it a step further and make your own beeswax wraps too! If you’re a little intimidated by sitting face-to-face for a couple of hours you can always look up a great list of flirty questions to ask that will keep the conversation going.
Cook at home together
You can either integrate this into your picnic plans or do it as a standalone activity, but either way it’s a great option. It’s fun to get creative with the food you’re taking and it also helps to keep the costs down.
On a recent date, I invited her over to make vegetarian sushi together. We experimented with different ingredients, packed it all up and went for a walk to a local lookout to enjoy it.
I find it far more interesting than just ordering food at a restaurant and it’s nice to work together as a team, too.
With around ⅓ of the world’s food going to waste each year, even the act of cooking can help reduce our total waste!
Go for a bike ride
Bikes are one of my favorite eco-friendly ways to get around downtown and explore new things. Get out in the sunshine, exercise and enjoy the sights and sounds around you.
This makes it a fun date idea too. You can explore so much of the city together and stop at anything that takes your fancy.
Visit the local farmers market
Farmers markets are a great way to support local and buy plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. They’re about so much more than local produce though, often packed with local artwork and performances too.
This makes for a fun date with so much to see and do. No matter what you’re both into, you’re bound to find something of interest.
Since farmers markets tend to have a strong focus on sustainability, you can also do it with a clear conscience. You might even come across some helpful products or ideas you hadn’t thought about before.
Walk to your favorite vegan or vegetarian restaurant
Whatever your stance on the topic, reducing meat consumption does have a positive impact on the environment.
You don’t have to “be a vegetarian” to eat at one of these restaurants and they’re a very simple substitution to make. Believe it or not, both of these diets are about more than just eating salads.
Walking to and from the restaurant is a great opportunity to work off some of your meal and chat too. I find it to be a relaxing end to a date and the perfect time to escalate if things are going well. Far better than driving two cars there and finding parking spots.
Explore new parts of your city together on foot
Just like cycling around downtown, doing it on foot can be a great option as well. Unlike in a car where you’re so insulated from your surroundings, you have the opportunity to slow down and take it all in.
Enjoy the sights and sounds around you, appreciate each other’s company and make it up as you go. In fact, my favorite way to do this is to start with a single plan and let the day unfold on its own.
Since you’re both making it up on the fly, the possibilities are endless and nobody feels pressured for time. Depending on the weather and fitness levels, you can really cover some ground this way.
I did this last year and a casual Saturday stroll turned into lunch, healthy snacks, dinner and over 20 km of walking! Things were going so well, we were enjoying our time in the sun and neither of us were in a hurry to leave. Personally, I’d consider that a successful (and eco-friendly) date.
Pick an outdoor sport you can both enjoy
If physical activity is something you’re both down for, outdoor sports are ideal. You’re getting some fresh air and exercise and don’t have a need for gas or electricity.
For some added fun you can both find something you haven’t done before and figure it out together. There’s something very disarming and humbling about being bad at a new activity which I find to be helpful to dating.
So long as you keep a positive attitude and remember that it doesn’t actually matter if you’re any good, things go well. The idea here isn’t to show off your skills at a sport, it’s about spending time with your date and doing something unique.
You just never know, today might be the day you find your new favorite activity and you get to do it with someone else.
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There’s seven simple, fun date ideas to get you started. Once you start to build these eco-friendly habits into your dating life as well, it’ll slowly become second nature.
We all have a responsibility to do our part and it’s really not that hard to do it in this context either.
