Handkerchiefs.

I have never once seen someone use a hanky and not thought the entire concept was weird.  I'm not going to lie to you and tell you otherwise.  However, eww-factor aside, facial tissue is incredibly eco-unfriendly, takes longer than toilet paper to biodegrade, and it is very hard to find tissue that has any post-consumer recycled content (although Seventh Generation makes some, I've read the quality is not even close to comparable to regular tissue paper).

This leaves me a bit torn.  I really want to be good to the environment, but I also want to pay for things that work the way I am expecting them to, if that makes sense.  I have never, ever blown my nose in anything but tissue paper (except for once, when I had a particularly ferocious cold, I had to blow my nose directly into the sink because the tissue was making my nose raw - very sad).  We use cloth napkins in our kitchen instead of paper towels, but I haven't been able to say goodbye to my tissue paper to date (not to mention I have four boxes left to use up).  However, as I become increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of paper products generally, I am questioning whether I can forego my prejudice towards hankies and find it in my heart to make the switch.

Just as I was in the process of debating this matter, I read about Hankettes, a Canadian company that makes hankies in a box, that look just like normal tissue paper boxes!  Well, enough like them that this might be a workable solution.  Of course, there are only eight hankies in a box, so you obviously can't go as long without cleaning the hankies as you could even use a normal box, but I think that's okay. The company has a really impressive commitment to the environment, sustainability and corporate social responsibility that makes you just want to support them.  Although the box of eight hankies costs about $45, I'm sure we will save lots of money as a result of this switch.  It will take some getting used to, but I really like the thought of breaking myself of the "disposable mindset" that I've developed throughout my life.