 "‘Wear wrinkled clothes to work’: How unironed clothes can help fight climate change")
It’s okay to not seek perfection all the time, even if it is by letting go of that crisp kurta. In fact, wearing unironed clothes is actually good for the environment.
India’s eminent research body, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is reportedly encouraging its staff to wear wrinkled clothes on Mondays.
Let’s take a look at what’s going on.
CSIR launches ‘WAH Mondays’
CSIR has initiated a ‘WAH Mondays’ campaign, which expands to ‘Wrinkles Acche Hai’ (wrinkles are good), asking its staff to wear unironed clothes on the first day of the week.
The initiative, which is a part of the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ from 1-15 May, is aimed at conserving energy.
“CSIR decided to contribute by wearing non-ironed clothes on Mondays. Ironing each set of clothes amounts to emission of 200 g (grammes) of carbon dioxide. So, by wearing non-ironed clothes, one can prevent emission of carbon dioxide to the tune of 200 g,” Dr N Kalaiselvi, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the first woman director general of CSIR, told NDTV.
CSIR has also implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reduce electricity consumption in all labs across India. Initially, it aims to slash workplace electricity expenses by 10 per cent.
This is a pilot trial that will be in place from June-August 2024, reported India Today.
Unironed clothes and climate change
Carbon dioxide is a key greenhouse gas that is driving climate change . As greenhouse gas emissions cover the Earth, they trap heat, leading to global warming and climate change.
India relies heavily on coal to produce electricity. Many of us use irons, usually rated between 500 watts to 2000 watts, to remove wrinkles from our clothes. These machines consume electricity to work.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAs per an Indiatimes report, if a 2000-watt electric iron is used for 15 minutes daily, it will take up around 0.5 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity each day, and 15 kWh of electricity monthly.
“Since the clothes are worn in pairs, it is two pieces of clothes that one person will be ironing for a day. It takes five-seven minutes to iron one piece. This will result in the equivalent of 200 grammes of CO2 emission. In other words, the entire country will be emitting 250 million grammes of CO2 a day just to iron their clothes,” IIT Bombay’s Professor Chetan Singh Solanki told the news outlet in 2022.
He pointed out that in India, the majority of electricity comes from coal. “It is estimated that one unit of electricity results in one kg of CO2 emission. So if we all decide not to iron our clothes for one day, we can save 250 million units of electricity,” the IIT Bombay Professor added.
Last October, the Energy Swaraj Foundation started the “Wah - Wrinkles Achhe Hai!” campaign to reduce carbon footprint.
“Our campaign offers a refreshing perspective on environmental responsibility in a world that often prioritises appearances over substance. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less is more, and wrinkles can be beautiful, especially when they represent a commitment to our planet,” Professor Solanki wrote for Indiatimes at the time.
Why we must act now
Climate change is already raising global temperatures. 2023 was the hottest year on record.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, between February 2023 and January 2024, global average temperatures rose 1.52 degrees Celsius above average temperatures measured, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, between 1850 and 1900, noted Vox.
Oceans are warming, countries are witnessing adverse weather events and the survival of several species is at risk due to climate change.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently forecasted that climate change could expose around 2.4 billion workers globally to health hazards like cancer, cardiovascular illness, kidney dysfunction and physical injury.
The Paris climate agreement of 2015 set a target of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this goal, the world has to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
However, the demand for fossil fuels, which contribute to warming, is at its highest level and is expected to rise further.
Amid all this, it becomes all the more important that we do our bit and act now to arrest the spike in global temperatures before it is too late. Even if we have to ditch the “neat” and “tidy” look expected at work or school for a day every week, it is worth it to save the environment.
With inputs from agencies
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