While employers have gradually accepted casual wear at work over the past decade or so, no employer has ever asked employees to turn up in unironed clothes. However, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has actually asked its workforce to turn up in wrinkled clothes every Monday. Why? Because it saves energy. Apparently, ironing a set of clothes can emit 200 grams of carbon dioxide. Therefore, by not ironing one’s clothes one can prevent emission of a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the environment. This surely has to be a first. And the campaign to promote the same is aptly called ‘Wrinkles Acche Hain’.
So, Wrinkled Mondays it is going to be for CSIR staff from now onward. Considering that the organization has about 37 labs across the country with over 3,500 scientists, and over 4,000 other staff, this will translate into saving of a whole lot of energy and preventing significant emissions. The move is expected to make the staff more aware of the need to conserve energy and save the environment. Also, it drives home the point that even the smallest step can contribute a lot in battling climate change.
The concept was introduced as part of the cleanliness drive titled ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ from 1 to 15 May.
The Council supervises research in various fields including genomics, biotechnology, oceanography, geophysics, and nanotechnology, contributing to sectors such as information technology, environmental engineering, mining and aeronautics.
In the past too, CSIR has been known to adopt ways to conserve energy. It has already started working on measures to reduce consumption of electricity across its labs in India. It aims to cut electricity bills by ten per cent once the measures are implemented in a month’s time.
