Be Good to Mother Nature on Mother"s Day
The National Retail Foundation predicts that spending on Mother's Day will be approximately $14.
6 Billion.
Mothers Day is second only to the winter holidays when it comes to spending.
Billions will be spent on eating out, clothing, jewelry and flowers.
This presents us with a $14.
6 Billion opportunity to support green businesses this Mother's Day: 1.
Card.
The Greeting Card Association estimates that 280 million Mother's Day cards are sold each year.
To reduce the impact, send an ecard, or if your mother is not online, buy a card made from recycled or 'tree-free' paper.
2.
Brunch, Lunch or Dinner? Eat at a local restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food and wine.
The Green Restaurant Association has a search function on their website that allows you to search for Certified Green Restaurants in your neighborhood.
3.
Clothing.
Organic clothing is made free from synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers.
Cotton, wool, linen (flax) and hemp can be grown organically; growing non-organic cotton takes up 10% of all agricultural chemicals in the United States.
Organic fibers are easily compostable when their useful life has reached.
However it is important to reduce the amount of overall purchases, so make sure any organic clothing is durable so that it will not need to be replaced quickly.
Organic fibers may be mixed with naturally derived man-made fibers such as wood pulp, bamboo, soy and corn to make the clothing more durable and retain the compostablilty.
Alternatively, buy vintage clothing.
4.
Jewelry.
There are several environmental and humane issues connected with jewelry.
Mining destroys habitats and uses harmful toxins.
According to No Dirty Gold the production of one gold ring generates 20 tons of mining waste.
Is there such a thing as eco-bling? If jewelry is on your shopping list, consider antique, pre-owned jewelry or purchasing from jewelers who are certified to be sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner.
5.
Flowers.
Florists see their highest sales in May.
The U.
S.
Dept of Agriculture estimates that 70% of flowers are imported into the US, many of which are sprayed with harmful pesticides and fungicides which are banned here.
Even flowers grown in the US can be harmful to the environment as flowers are one of the most pesticide intensive crops.
The easy fix? Buy locally grown organic flowers.
You will reduce the carbon footprint from the transportation of the flowers and avoid toxins potentially harming the watershed and streams.
You can take it a step further and help your mother and mother nature with these simple gift ideas: · Rechargeable batteries for the practical mom; · A chic and handy reusable shopping bags for the fashionable mom; · Water bottle and/or travel mug for the mom on the go; · Native plants for the nature loving mom.
Whatever you decide, have a Happy Mother's Day.
6 Billion.
Mothers Day is second only to the winter holidays when it comes to spending.
Billions will be spent on eating out, clothing, jewelry and flowers.
This presents us with a $14.
6 Billion opportunity to support green businesses this Mother's Day: 1.
Card.
The Greeting Card Association estimates that 280 million Mother's Day cards are sold each year.
To reduce the impact, send an ecard, or if your mother is not online, buy a card made from recycled or 'tree-free' paper.
2.
Brunch, Lunch or Dinner? Eat at a local restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food and wine.
The Green Restaurant Association has a search function on their website that allows you to search for Certified Green Restaurants in your neighborhood.
3.
Clothing.
Organic clothing is made free from synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers.
Cotton, wool, linen (flax) and hemp can be grown organically; growing non-organic cotton takes up 10% of all agricultural chemicals in the United States.
Organic fibers are easily compostable when their useful life has reached.
However it is important to reduce the amount of overall purchases, so make sure any organic clothing is durable so that it will not need to be replaced quickly.
Organic fibers may be mixed with naturally derived man-made fibers such as wood pulp, bamboo, soy and corn to make the clothing more durable and retain the compostablilty.
Alternatively, buy vintage clothing.
4.
Jewelry.
There are several environmental and humane issues connected with jewelry.
Mining destroys habitats and uses harmful toxins.
According to No Dirty Gold the production of one gold ring generates 20 tons of mining waste.
Is there such a thing as eco-bling? If jewelry is on your shopping list, consider antique, pre-owned jewelry or purchasing from jewelers who are certified to be sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner.
5.
Flowers.
Florists see their highest sales in May.
The U.
S.
Dept of Agriculture estimates that 70% of flowers are imported into the US, many of which are sprayed with harmful pesticides and fungicides which are banned here.
Even flowers grown in the US can be harmful to the environment as flowers are one of the most pesticide intensive crops.
The easy fix? Buy locally grown organic flowers.
You will reduce the carbon footprint from the transportation of the flowers and avoid toxins potentially harming the watershed and streams.
You can take it a step further and help your mother and mother nature with these simple gift ideas: · Rechargeable batteries for the practical mom; · A chic and handy reusable shopping bags for the fashionable mom; · Water bottle and/or travel mug for the mom on the go; · Native plants for the nature loving mom.
Whatever you decide, have a Happy Mother's Day.
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