Going Green When You're Feeling Blue

I have monster allergies in full-swing right about now, and I've been killing trees by the minute with my nose blowing... a LOT of nose blowing. All of these virgin-fiber tissues, from old-growth, unsustainable forests are piling up, and so is my guilt. There's got to be a better way, right?

There are tissues made from recycled materials, and the reviews range from "They're not that much tougher than brands made with virgin fibers." to "What are these? CARDBOARD?!" A frequent argument for using recycled material tissues is that they're only used for a few seconds, and surely you can deal with a little less softness for those few seconds, in the interest of saving the earth? I'm pretty sure whoever said that never had allergies like I do. Even on medication, my nose is running like a brook, and I'm a slave to the floral printed box of two-ply. If I were to use something that irritated my nose, I'd be raw and bleeding.

So what to do?

First, I want to use up the tissues I have. I'm not going to throw away things I already have just because they aren't the most eco-friendly option. That would be wasteful, and counter-productive to being green. Then I think I might switch to hankies. I know, gross, but I do one load of "gross things" every week when I do the laundry: dust rags, dog's towels, kitchen cloths. Instead of harmful bleach, I use a quarter-cup of white vinegar in there for disinfecting. It works well, and my hankies can go in there, too.

If you can't bring yourself to carry around cloths that contain your boogers, however, try Seventh-Generations tissues. They're highly-rated, easy to find, and are 100% recycled materials (including a whopping 80% post-consumer!)