This weekend we celebrate Mother’s Day, a day to show greater appreciation for our mums and everything they do for us. More of us are becoming aware of how our actions affect the planet and can contribute to climate change, so here are a few eco-friendly tips on how to celebrate this special occasion.

Cards

Firstly, consider if a card is really essential? What about creating a video message to send to your mum? If you really want to send a card, make it as eco-friendly as possible and ensure it can be recycled by checking the label on the back. Unfortunately glitter or foil usually means that the card cannot be recycled. Alternatively, you can make a card yourself! Even if you have limited creative skills, your mum will still appreciate your effort to make her card. Be mindful of how you decorate your card – by gluing extra elements onto it, this is likely to mean it cannot be recycled.

Flowers

If you would like to gift your mother with flowers for this occasion, make sure it is sustainably sourced, meaning it has not been treated with pesticides and can be found, grown, and sold locally. Also, opt for flowers to be wrapped in paper rather than plastic and be aware that oasis floral foam usually contains single use plastic. An alternative would be to gift a potted plant, which can be enjoyed for a longer time.

Eco Gift Box

Help your mum be more eco-friendly by putting together a box of sustainable alternatives to everyday items she can enjoy. You can easily buy sustainable and plastic free toiletries including bamboo toothbrushes, soap bars, skin products such as facial creams and body lotions.

Alternative Gifts

Why not gift your mother an experience you can share together, such as a spa day or afternoon tea? Alternatively, cook your mum her favourite dinner. If you are not able to celebrate Mother’s Day due to the pandemic, plan to organise this when you can in the future.

Gift wrapping

Wrapping paper and plastic tape often cannot be recycled. Look out for kraft paper and paper tape as an alternative, which can be recycled after being unwrapped by your mum. We hope these tips will help you celebrate Mother’s Day in a more eco-friendly way. Being mindful of our consumption doesn't mean we have to skip gifting altogether; we just have to be conscious of how the choices we make may impact the planet. We would like to wish all mothers reading the article a Happy Mother’s Day! (Sources: sustainercontainer.co.uk).

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