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My Dad got me into using handkerchiefs when I was teenager...and I've never stopped. So, I'm wondering, why hasn't this remarkably efficient habit caught on throughout the green universe? Well, maybe it's all about to happen.
"Blowing your nose might be doing more than clearing your sinuses. It might be destroying Canada's old-growth forests," writes Josh Peterson. "When you pick up a tissue to stop that runny nose, you could be wiping your nose with an ancient forest." His solution: Give up those tissues and carry around a handkerchief.
Over at Grist, an article with the ostensible purpose of comparing recycled facial tissues ended up with this suggestion: "Your best bet all around is a cloth handkerchief. It will be cheaper over time, softer, and much stronger than anything tested here. The fact that it's reusable means it doesn't get tossed, and all of the harmful production-related stuff (manufacturing, packaging, transporting) happens only once, rather than every time you have a good cry."
Purchasing your hankies doesn't have to be pricey or irresponsible. "There are certainly enough vintage hankies in thrift shops that it wouldn't take much time nor cash nor any new materials," says Jenn at Tiny Choices. "And then I'd be out of the disposable tissue loop (because even if the tissues are made from recycled paper there's still a massive amount of pollution caused by the processing and transportation involved)."
Maybe you'd rather make your own.
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