Bringing Back The Handkerchief!
Everyone gets sniffles here and there, which most of us take care of with disposable tissues. But these tissues are wasteful.
Let’s bring back the handkerchief!
Kleenex uses pulp from clear-cuts of ancient forests like the Canadian Boreal. The Boreal Forest is one of the largest intact forests left on earth. Activists have been raising awareness by placing notes in Kleenex boxes across the U.S. and Canada with the message: “Wiping away ancient forests”. Kleercut.net provides information about this campaign.
However, the Kleercut solution is to boycott Kleenex and use only “eco-certified” disposable tissue. I’d rather stop using any kind of tree to blow my nose, ancient or not. I made some of my own hankies by cutting up old clothes – but you don’t need to go to that extreme as hankies are available in many stores.
The other day I asked an elderly man on the bus if he uses a handkerchief. He sure did and even pulled it out for me to see. He explained the folding method: Using a big enough piece of cloth, you blow. Then you fold the cloth in half, so the next blow has a fresh piece of cloth. Keep folding over into smaller rectangles and squares after each blow, and then when the hankie is used up, put it with your dirty clothes to be washed. Then put a fresh handkerchief in your pocket!
There is also the plug-and-blow method, where you plug up one side of your nose and blow out onto the ground when nobody is looking! However, that is not always proper, especially in the middle of a busy street. So, in conclusion, hankies are the way to go!
Tags: ancient-forests, boreal-forest, disposable, ecoproducts, handkerchief, reusable, tissue, trees
Mar 19, 2008
The hankerchief can be beautiful and elegant. Try out a vintage one passed down from your grandmother, embroidered with initials or with a little multi colored hen in the corner. Have many…like having different colored undies. Each one will make you feel great! and come in handy for coffee dribbles on your skirt or a wild allergy sneeze. don’t leave home without it. A true staple of our sustainable 8,000 mile tour! It decreased our trash exponentially.
Mar 19, 2008
I’ve been doing this ever since I learned about the Kleercut campaign, because living in a small town it’s impossible to find eco-friendly disposable tissues. I call them my “hippie hankies.” They’re far better than regular tissue and no extra effort–just throw them in your normal laundry.
Instead of buying them, you can also make your own, if you have basic sewing skills. I went to the fabric store and bought a couple yards of the cutest, most colorful cotton flannel I could find. I like the flannel because it’s soft and thick, but you could easily use any natural fiber. Then you cut it how you want it and hem the edges. It’s great! I have tie-dye hankies, rainbow hankies, and Disney hankies.
Mar 19, 2008
I always thought hankies were unhygienic, but compared to destroying forests, it’s a small price to pay. I’m gonna start using one now. Well, I’ll use block-and-blow method for top secret operations (when nobody’s looking), and have the hanky on stand-by for the rest of the time (or when I’m in the mall – the janitor would chase me if I blew chunks in his mall).
Thanks guys.
Mar 19, 2008
hankies are a great ideas, I haven’t ever tried carrying one- but i’ve never bought a box of kleenex either. everytime I go to the bathroom i blow my nose with the same toilet paper i use to wipe with.(nose first of course!) i figure it’s going to get used anyway – might as well serve a dual purpose! in this anti-bacterial world i’m sure it would be hard to convince all the germaphobes to start using something that is full of potential viruses and other “scary” things. but for all the people who are smart enough to realize you NEED to be exposed to a certain amount of germs to build up a good immune system- there is hope in at least reducing deforestation.
Mar 19, 2008
My dad always had a hanky in his pocket, he passed on many years ago and I came across his old hankies a few years ago and having been using them since. They are so nice and soft and pleasant to use. I have added to my collection so I can have a fresh one when I need it. It is really unfortunate that people have become so freaked out about germs that they see a hanky a unhygenic but the best we can do is be the change we wish to see in others and use our hankies in public to be an example to others as well.
Mar 19, 2008
A friend of mine spent a month in Japan last year, and when she returned she told me that a hot trend was to carry one’s own ‘fingertip towel’ for drying one’s hands in a public restroom rather than using paper towels. Women in particular carried the tiny, decorated, ultra-absorbent towels — often tucked in a side pocket of the purse where the monogram or embroidered anime character would be visible. It was treated as an accessory. She bought some for herself before she returned to the states and still uses them as far as I know. What a positive example to set!
Mar 19, 2008
[...] Hat Tip to EcoSpace… [...]
Mar 20, 2008
I’ve been using handkerchiefs for years. If you use big ones, like bandana-size, you can fold them so that each time you’re using a different spot. After a while, using tissues feels weird – they’re too flimsy and disintegrate disgustingly.
I love the fingertip towel idea! Thanks for sharing.
Mar 29, 2008
I think we need to include cloth napkins in the change as well. How many paper napkins fill the trash cans at fast food and other resturants?
I use old linen tablecloths that are stained to make napkins, just like my grandmother used to do. Cut the tablecloth into large squares, hem them and use them instead of paper. The stained pieces make good kitchen cleanup rags to replace using paper towels.
Cloth napkins definitely absorb more than the cheap flimsy paper ones, stay on your lap better and wash up nicely.
Jun 22, 2008
If you are interested in investing in some organic cotton hankies, Hankettes is a great place to start. http://www.hankettes.com/