“It’s 2016, why should I use a handkerchief?”

I hear this comment a lot. Many people point out their grandparents or parents used one, even that they grew up having to iron their parent’s hankies. But they fell out of favor. And fair enough, not everyone likes the idea. 

But there most certainly is a place for handkerchiefs in the 21st century. And I think the HankyBook is just the right form for it.

Handkerchief History

The second half of the 20th century was a golden age for disposable goods. Mounds of waste built up in landfills. Our oceans filled with plastic and paper that were used once and then thrown away. Today, 80% of everything we buy is used once and then discarded. Abandoned to an eternity of waste. Occupying space with no purpose. Poisoning land and water.

It doesn’t need to be that way.

A Sustainable Change

We can choose not to cut down millions of trees every year for facial tissues. We can choose not to use thousands of tissues for our allergies and colds, buying case after case of mostly virgin fiber paper and throwing it away.

We can choose to abandon these wasteful ways and find ourselves in a culture that values sustainability over disposability, reusing over repurchasing, long-term health over quick fixes, and real solutions over hi-tech gambles.

Handkerchiefs fit into the conscious, sustainable way of life as naturally as composting, growing vegetables, and any other principle of the modern eco-friendly life. Our grandparents used handkerchiefs because they were a part of the culture. We can reclaim that part of our past and help the next generation live the right way; without wasting, without polluting, consciously and conveniently.

That’s why the handkerchief does belong to life, in 2016 and beyond.