How non-ironed clothing is a game-changer for climate action

As part of its Climate Action series, the Energy Swaraj Foundation has launched the "Wah - Wrinkles Achhe Hai!" campaign. This initiative aims to tackle the issues posed by climate change and work towards minimizing carbon emissions. By adopting easy practices like wearing unironed clothes, one can help build a greener and more sustainable tomorrow.

How wearing non-ironed clothes can help fight climate crises

The remarkable aspect of this unironed cotton kurta lies in its potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 200 grams per garment. In the context of climate change, this could mean cutting back on consumption, conserving resources, or allowing nature to thrive without human intervention.

An average electric clothes iron typically consumes between 500-2000 watts. For instance, a 2000-watt iron used for 15 minutes daily amounts to 0.5 kWh of daily usage, totaling 15 kWh per month. When we factor in the ironing time for pairs of clothes (5-7 minutes per piece), one person's ironing in a day can contribute up to 200 grams of CO2. When scaled up to a national level, this results in an astonishing 250 million grams (or 250,000 kg) of CO2 emissions every day.

By choosing to skip ironing for a day, every individual in India could collectively save 250 million units of electricity, equivalent to preventing 250 million kilograms of CO2 emissions. This underscores how small collective actions can yield a substantial environmental impact.

Also watch: Save the ocean and wash your clothes less often