+++++++Handkerchief Project

2008-11-22T00:34:00.001-08:00

Sent in by Erin in Sacramento,
Rosie the Yorkie wants to show off her yelp hankie!

Ride your bike

2008-11-21T01:44:00.000-08:00

Part of the reason why I started this project is to get people to start THINKING before they use. Carrying a handkerchief every day is a constant reminder to do better. I know it worked for me. Personally I was on auto pilot for so many years that it was scary how hard it was to stop using paper towels! It takes time to break cycles that we are used to in life. First it was weird not using paper towels or tissues, then it was irritating, then before I knew it I was thinking of other ways I could reduce my impact on this earth. One of those other ways is riding my bike more.

I found a few facts to share on the Solar Energy International website about automobiles - click here for the full list.

Americans use a billion gallons of motor oil a year, 350 million gallons of which end up polluting the environment.

The United States consumes about 17 million barrels of oil per day, of which nearly two-thirds is used for transportation.

With information like this I know I HAVE to change the way I live by driving less and using less in general. So from my previous post you know that last weekend I rode my bike to the Green Festival.

After the event when I removed the pink tag from the bike parking lot there was five dollars off the normal 35 dollar fee for a one year free membership to the San Francisco Bike Coalition! Pretty cool. Plus they watched my bike the whole time I was at the event.

Membership has its benefits, including:
The Urban Bicyclists' Survival Kit complete with: The San Francisco Cyclist/Pedestrian street grade map, transit guides, safety advice, reflectors, cool stickers and more

Discounts at more than 45 local bike shops & merchants, and even 10% off at Rainbow Grocery when you ride your bike there!

One year subscription to the Tube Times delivered to your home or electronically

Free bike trailer rentals

Free admission to our popular Cultural History Bike Tours and invites to attend their fabulous parties

And best of all, by joining the SFBC you'll strengthen the powerful voice of SFBC for safer, saner streets for bicyclists and pedestrians.

www.sfbike.org
415 431 BIKE

Im Still waiting to hear back about my membership and will let you know all about it. I urge you to use your handkerchief all the time but also find other ways to be easier on our planet. If you need suggestions let me know and I will send some your way.

Goodnight and Goodluck

Green Festival San Francisco 2008

2008-11-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

I went to the Green Festival last weekend in San Francisco. Bay Area Bicycle Coalition hosted a valet parking for our bikes at the event. I found out that if I did ride my bike I would get 5 dollars off admission! After three hours and more than a hundred booths I did not see one handkerchief product available?! Almost everything at the Green Festival was about green consuming and not reducing consumption or use. I would have liked to see more information available and less products for sale. I saw everything from green caskets to green chocolate. The last thing I wanted to do was buy anything from the Green Festival. Nonetheless I had a great time and was able to talk to a few people about using handkerchiefs instead of paper towels and tissues!

2008-11-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Sara sent in some great photos to the Hankerchief Project. Sara uses hankerchiefs for many things in her life but in this example she uses one to cover the grapefruit she brought to protect from bugs and to make it look pretty. Just another great use for a hanky. Thanks Sara!

Bathroom Tissue

2008-11-07T12:21:00.001-08:00

Its best to get a toilet paper that is 100 % recycled and unbleached. This helps reduce the need for virgin wood pulp which means that less energy is used to process the paper and saves more trees from being cut down.

The Seventh Generation website offers great information about Post Consumer Materials

Hitting the streets to say No on 8?

2008-11-02T21:19:00.001-08:00

Handkerchiefs are everywhere!

Hankdkerchief Java Jacket in use

2008-11-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

I posted this use before but wanted to show how to tie the handkerchief in a small bow so it stays in place! Here you go!

The Handkerchief Project now has 11 members!

2008-11-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is a shout out to Warren B in Los Angeles. Thanks for joining the challenge Warren and I look forward to hearing about your hanky journey!

Keep on the lookout!

2008-11-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

Keep a look out for stickers on the paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms at CCA! Since I cannot be there to remind people to use less paper towels (especially in the mens room) I thought it would be a good idea to make stickers to notify the user in action! These stickers will do two things, make people aware of their use of paper towels and direct them to the Handkerchief Project blog to get more information.

Bruce Levin and his Handkerchief from Japan

2008-11-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

Bruce Levin a professor at CCA says he loves his handkerchief and is never without one! Thanks to one of my classmates named Andri I was notified immediately of a "hanky happening". I ran to the scene and it was CCAs very own Bruce Levin. He says he gets his handkerchiefs in Japan when he is there teaching. He also mentioned that the size of the square is larger and the quality of the cloth is very high. I did some research about handkerchiefs in Japan and found out that it is part of the culture to bring your own handkerchief to dry your hands in public bathrooms. Most establishments do not provide paper towels or forced air dryers. All of the information I found about traveling to Japan put handkerchiefs on their "list not to forget" when visiting. Here is a picture of Bruce and his handkerchief.

Life Less Plastic: Using a Handkerchief Makes Me Feel All Funny

2008-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Life Less Plastic: Using a Handkerchief Makes Me Feel All Funny

2008-10-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Kleercut.net

Tissue Products: Industry overview
Who would have thought that the toilet paper and facial tissue we use every day are created by clearcutting ancient forests like Canada’s Boreal? It’s sad but true that disposable tissue products, used once and then thrown away or flushed down the toilet, contribute to the destruction of forests that have been around for over 10,000 years. The good news is that the tissue product industry is changing; the bad news is that some manufacturers, like Kimberly-Clark, are not. Paper production and consumption worldwide have serious negative impacts. The pulp and paper industry, which includes tissue product manufacturers, is among the world’s largest generators of toxic air, water pollutants and waste products. It is the third largest generator of global warming emissions, and those emissions are projected to increase 100 percent by 2020. It is the world’s largest user of fresh water, and is among the world’s largest users of energy. It destroys natural forests that are essential for clean air and water, the atmosphere’s chemistry, wildlife habitat, indigenous culture, spiritual inspiration and recreation.
click here to link to Kleercut website

Trees

2008-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Paul on things that make you go green says, “The NRDC estimates that if every household in the United States used one less roll of paper towels, we could save 544,000 trees.”

Join me on MySpace

2008-10-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.myspace.com/handkerchiefproject

Can I recycle paper towels?

2008-10-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

I found some information about
recycling paper towels on Mc Master University in Hamilton, Canada

The question is can I recycle tissues or napkins?  The answer, no, you can't. The reason? Tissue, paper towel and napkins are all considered personal hygiene or clean-up products. Due to potential contamination, these products are not acceptable as recyclables.
The good news is you can shred and compost your own. Here is how you do it.
You will want to save just paper towels and napkins in a separate bag or container, and wearing gloves when you shred the paper is a good safety tip. Any bacteria or other critters will be broken down in the composting process so the end product is safe, and you conserve resources and get free mulch at the same time!

If you need more information about how to set up composting there is a complete how to here on the Hamilton county Tennessee website.

A Paper Towel-less Life

2008-10-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Check out the link!
Read all 47 comments about Apartment Therapys article

A Paper Towel-less Life
Some in favor and some not.

Oh no I didnt....yes I did

2008-10-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

I drink coffee almost everyday. And everyday I use a small brown coffee filter in my Melita single cup maker. This morning I realized that maybe my dingy hankies could have a use before they go into the cleaning rag pile? So I tried it. I folded my handkerchief into a square that I opened up and placed into the filter holder. I filled the cloth filter with coffee and poured boiling water to brew. It worked but not without some difficulty. After this test I realized that it would work better if I cut the hanky to the size of a paper filter and sew. One last thing and probably the worst. My coffee tasted like a dryer sheet! So make sure you wash and hang dry your hanky before brewing your coffee.

"What is the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull?--Lipstick"

2008-09-30T22:37:00.001-07:00

I know some ladies would love to save a tree by using a handkerchief but are worried about staining their white hanky with red lipstick. Worry not. This problem was solved 68 years ago when these Lipstick hankies were designed. They were saving trees even back then.

Carrying small items?

2008-09-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Just say NO to paper or plastic. Here is a great way to contain small items using your handkerchief.

Cloth Rags In The Kitchen

2008-09-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

I was raised to use old cloth napkins in the kitchen in the place of paper towels or napkins. They are good for spills and cleaning counters.

Care For Your Handkerchief

2008-09-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

The cleaning and care of your handkerchief is simple. You can wash them along with your other laundry in the washing machine. Or you can hand wash them in the bathroom sink with a small amount of soap, rinse well, wring out, and hang to air dry. Handkerchiefs are very thin and will be dry in minutes on a hot day.

News FlashNew Hanky Uses Discovered

2008-09-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

This morning while getting my coffee, I gave them my own glass cup to use for some reason they put a Java Jacket on the glass for me. I removed the sleeve and grabbed the handkerchief from my pocket and off I went.

+++++++Handkerchief Project

Ride your bike

Green Festival San Francisco 2008

Bathroom Tissue

Hitting the streets to say No on 8?

Hankdkerchief Java Jacket in use

The Handkerchief Project now has 11 members!

Keep on the lookout!

Bruce Levin and his Handkerchief from Japan

Life Less Plastic: Using a Handkerchief Makes Me Feel All Funny

Trees

Join me on MySpace

Can I recycle paper towels?

A Paper Towel-less Life

Oh no I didnt....yes I did

"What is the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull?--Lipstick"

Carrying small items?

Cloth Rags In The Kitchen

Care For Your Handkerchief

*News Flash*New Hanky Uses Discovered

News FlashNew Hanky Uses Discovered