I got my Pre-ordered book, "Zero Waste Home," yesterday. (1) As I sat here reading it today, I can't help but notice the parts where she recommends doing away with facial tissues in favor of cloth handkerchiefs. I have gone through one and a half boxes of facial tissues this week (and yes, I've been taking decongestants!). How many handkerchiefs would that be??
I just don't understand how it would be possible to do this without tissues. Does anybody have any insight?
(1) writing this on the mobile app which apparently won't let me hotlink text to a URL. Here's the Amazon listing for the book: http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Waste-Home-Ultimate-Simplifying/dp/1451697686
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Use recycled tissues if you can get them. Then they've already been used as someone's newspaper or grocery bag or something, so no trees are cut down to make them.
ReplyDeleteIf no-one bought recycled products there would be no market for them so there would be no incentive for anyone to recycle paper. So you needn't feel bad about using as many tissues as you need.
Cloth ones are fine for normal use when you are just wiping or blowing your nose occasionally, but they are pretty gross when you have a nasty virus. I remember having to use them as a child when I got bronchitis every year as well as lots of colds before we had paper tissues - the cloth hankies would get wet and horrible very quickly so I'd have to use quite a few but I'd still be picking up a wet handkerchief most of the time - not good for infection control! Then my Mum would have to wash them in boiling water (using lots of energy) as they'd be so germ-laden, and risk infection for herself and the rest of the family.
When the next pandemic flu hits the world infection control will be much more important than how many tissues we get through.
The slogan our National Health Service is promoting for hand and respiratory hygiene is "Catch it. Bin it. Kill it." ie catch the germs coughed and sneezed out in a tissue, bin the tissue, and kill the germs on our hands by washing them. They say studies have shown that this reduces the spread of respiratory infections.
So don't feel guilty about the tissues.
I hope you feel better soon. And that you can rest up and don't do any more than you need to on the tour. I know you're not very likely to hold back on the ringing (and adrenaline's great in performing while unwell, although the adrenaline drop afterwards isn't) but don't lug any bells about or do anything more than you absolutely have to until you feel well enough!
Hugs!
Gay