My grandmother used to give me handkerchiefs at every holiday. She believed a girl should always have a fancy flowery hankie on hand.

Handkerchiefs are eco-friendly. The hankies my grandmother gave me when I was in junior high school are still in my rotation today.

Some major brands use 100% virgin wood pulp to make their paper tissues. According to Greenpeace, ancient forests like the Boreal Forests of Canada are being cut down to provide materials for tissues.

You can buy a box of reusable organic cotton hankies from Vashon Organics, flowery hankies at the Vermont Country Store, little flannel Hankettes from KidBean, or make your own from shirts that have seen better days.

Wash your handkerchiefs in hot water to kill germs, and they’ll be good as new every time. They don’t disintegrate while you’re using them, or make a mess in the washing machine if you accidentally leave one in a pocket. And they’re virtually dust free, so when you’re sneezing, you won’t be making it worse by shaking paper dust at your nose.

Not ready to switch to handkerchiefs just yet? Use tissues made from 100% recycled paper, like these from Seventh Generation.