To Use or Not to Use a Handkerchief?

Dr. Dean Edell says that he's "disgusted" by people using hankies to blow their noses. Apparently he's not alone. The Japanese have a term for nasal mucous that translates into English as "nose poop," and one can well imagine how they feel about people nasally defecating into a cloth that they carry around in their pocket. But what I want to know is, What's a person with a runny nose to do? I wish we humans were never plagued by runny noses, but we are, especially during allergy season and when we have colds.

Some people carry tissues with them, but that can be pretty inconvenient when your nose is very runny and you don't have room for a big box of tissue or there's no wastebasket around. So, I often use a hankie, especially when I'm out and about. Yes, it's not the most sanitary thing in the world, and it's not very pleasing to the eye. But what's a viable alternative?