27 February 2008

Top green gifts for Mother’s Day

With Mother’s Day on 2 March this year, Gwynedd mums are in for a bit of well deserved pampering. 

Hardworking mums definitely deserve a treat, and this year Gwynedd Council has teamed up with Waste Awareness Wales and released a list of suggestions for the ultimate Mother’s Day gifts – presents that will both treat our mums and reduce the amount of waste that normally goes to landfill after the special day.

Gwenllian Roberts, Gwynedd Council’s Waste and Recycling Officer said:

“Mother’s day is the perfect time of year to treat our mums! However all those presents can increase the amount of packaging and wrapping we send to landfill, at a time when we all need to be thinking of ways to reduce the amount we throw away.  

“So, with Waste Awareness Wales we’ve come up with a list of five great presents that will treat and delight Mums across Gwynedd and help us all make this Mother’s Day the greenest ever.”

The top five gift ideas are:

• Head for the kitchen

From making cups of tea and a Sunday roast to an indulgent chocolate cake, ban mums from the kitchen and treat them with homemade goodies. Help young children bake simple meals or repay your mum for years of help by inviting her over for a special home cooked meal - and remember to compost the tea bags and any fruit and vegetable peelings afterwards.

• Enforce a day off

Gather together spare materials and scrap paper and help younger children make a special homemade voucher entitling their mum to a day of pampering from the rest of the family.

• Get creative with your cards

A personalised card or gift can be a great present – and by reusing items such as card or ribbon it helps reduce waste from being binned. Whether it’s a fantastic card or a homemade present, mothers are sure to love it.

• Flowers with a difference

Instead of a big bunch of flowers, why not try planting her favourite flowers in the garden or pretty pot for a gift that lasts all year round. If you do give bunches of flowers, remember to compost them or put them in the brown bin afterwards.

• A surprise day out

As the ultimate ‘waste-free’ gift, prepare a day out as a surprise – whether it’s a picnic in the park, a meal out or a trip to a local attraction she’s always wanted to go to, treat her with a mystery trip.