The Power of a Single Handkerchief, Which Can Help with Protecting the Global Environment

On April 22, 2022, ASEZ WAO, the Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group, launched a special campaign on Earth Day. It was a challenge to use a handkerchief to protect the environment.

Paper towels, which are used in everyday life, emit 10 grams of carbon dioxide per sheet. If we use a handkerchief instead of a paper towel, we can save wood, which is a raw material for paper towels, and we can also reduce carbon dioxide emission. If each person saves eight paper towels every day by using a handkerchief, he can reduce the emission of carbon dioxide by 30 kg per year. It is the same effect as planting 3.5 30-year-old pine trees.

Our goal is to encourage people to participate in protecting the environment, starting with little practices, and it is easy to do the challenge. All you need to do is access ASEZ WAO website and watch the video of the “power of a single handkerchief”, read the card news, and use a handkerchief wherever you are at any time. After using the handkerchief, you can participate in the signature campaign on the ASEZ WAO website. You may also share the card news and posters posted on the website with your family, acquaintances, and co-workers through social media.

Members from all around the world, including Korea, Peru, Mexico, and the Philippines, have actively participated in doing the challenge. Some of them posted posters at workplace to encourage their co-workers to join the challenge. Seeing the members’ enthusiasm for protecting the environment, local governments and companies from all walks of life have given their support signatures. 1,530 people participated in the challenge that lasted for about three weeks from April 22 to May 13, and used handkerchiefs for a total of 8,000 times. In this way, the members were able to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 81 kg, and this was equivalent to the effect of planting 9 trees.

Even at this very moment, anyone can participate in the challenge of using a handkerchief whenever he wants to. For healthy future of the earth and mankind, ASEZ WAO plans to continue to hold various campaigns such as the challenge of riding a bicycle in June.