The Best Zero-Waste Mother’s Day Gifts for the Mom You Love

Jaceybonavia/ Zero Waste

If you have a motherly figure in your life, you probably want to express your love and appreciation for her on Mother’s Day. Below are a few zero-waste Mother’s Day gift ideas!

Gift-giving traditionally produces a lot of waste. I encourage you to choose lower-waste gift options when possible.

Remember, zero-waste — at least how I define it — does not mean that there is literally zero waste. Instead, it means making an intentional effort to minimize waste by following the six Rs of sustainability hierarchy.

Good zero-waste gift ideas include consumable items, experiences, reusable items, and unpackaged things.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This money will help keep the site running. If you have more eco-friendly options near you, buy those instead.

Consumable Zero-Waste Mother’s Day Gifts

Things that are consumable (i.e., edible or otherwise used up entirely) are an excellent zero-waste option, as long as they do not come in single-use plastic packaging.

1. Baked Goods

If you bake your mom cookies, brownies, cake, etc., she can eat the entire gift and will appreciate your effort!

You can make it extra special by using a family recipe and giving the baked goods a spring theme. For example, you can cut your cookies into flower and butterfly shapes.

2. Bulk Chocolate

If you have a store with bulk bins–like Outpost Natural Foods, the Glass Pantry, and Sprouts Farmers Market–near you, buy chocolate for your mom! Bulk chocolate is another completely edible gift!

You can take an old, empty, and cleaned jar and fill it with chocolate from the bulk bins.

Don’t worry. You subtract the empty bottle’s weight from the total, so you aren’t paying for your Prego jar on top of the chocolate.

3. Soap

Support a local soap-maker and give your mother a bar of vegan handmade soap.

A local soap company near me, called Cream City Soap Co., makes vegan handmade soap and will ship them “naked,” so you don’t even have a paper sleeve to recycle or compost.

Experience-Based Zero-Waste Mother’s Day Gifts

1. Video Chat

If you don’t live with your mom, get on FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom, and call her! Seeing you and spending time with you will likely mean more to her than other potential gifts.

You can chat and play games with her, and if you have kids, make sure she has a chance to chat and play with her grandchildren, too!

If she doesn’t have the equipment, that would be a great gift, too. Then she can continue to video chat with you throughout the year.

She will need a webcam and a microphone if she does not have a computer, tablet, or phone with a built-in camera and mic. Better yet, if she doesn’t have a smartphone or tablet, consider getting her one!

2. Go for a Walk Together

Put on a mask, stand six feet apart, and go for a walk in nature. This will allow you and your mom to connect with each other and nature without digital distractions.

Package-Free, Reusable, and Sentimental Zero-Waste Mother’s Day Gifts

1. Donate to Their Favorite Charity

Donate to a local charity in honor of your mother. Many organizations are doing great work on climate and environmental justice, the climate crisis, the environment, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, violence prevention, food distribution, shelters, etc.

If you can’t find a local org. to support, there are many great national or international groups, including the following:
– Earthjustice
– Friends of the Earth
– Greenpeace
– National Audubon Society
– National Wildlife Federation
– Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
– Rainforest Alliance
– Sierra Club
– Wildlife Conservation Society
– 350.org

I will be supporting my mom’s gun violence prevention organization!

P.S. I used to have the Environmental Defense Fund and the Nature Conservancy on this list, but have since learned of practices within those organizations that contradict being good stewards of the planet. Always learning.

2. Ethically-Sourced, Up-cycled Jewelry

Jewelry is a popular Mother’s Day gift. If you opt to give your mom jewelry, try to find conflict-free jewelry, such as lab-grown diamonds.

3. Make a Handmade (Recyclable) Card

Tell your mom all of the reasons you love her. Use her favorite colors, and make it meaningful. No plastic glitter, please!

3. Organic Heirloom Seeds

Your mom may also love receiving organic, heirloom, non-GMO seeds for her garden! The seeds linked here come in recycled packets, and the packaging is compostable!

4. Potted Plant

If you give your mom a potted plant, she will keep the entire gift, there will be no packaging waste, and if the plant eventually dies, she can compost it.

If she has nowhere to put a plant, consider getting her something like this Forest Stewardship Certified indoor/outdoor, multi-tiered plant stand to put it on.

I adore my snake plant, which is particularly easy to care for.

Avoid

Try to avoid purchasing items that are excessively packaged. For example, try to avoid chocolates that have individual plastic wrappers.

Skip flower bouquets wrapped in plastic, too.

Do you have any zero-waste Mother’s Day gift ideas? Or, have you tried any of my suggestions? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook or Instagram @WildSustainability!