If you have some used clothes lying around at home, you too can join the innovative campaign of the district administration, Ernakulam Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam Mission, Ernakulam and help make the polling booths greener. All you have to do is drop off the clothes at the designated collection centers, where they will breathe new life into them by being refurbished in mobile depositories outside the polling stations. That’s not all. As part of efforts to ensure environmentally friendly elections, souvenirs will also be produced from paper and plastic waste generated after the elections.
“Every election in Kerala is a green election, with green protocol being strictly followed across the state. We are launching two new initiatives: eco-friendly mobile deposit storage and handmade souvenirs made from waste,” District Collector G. Priyanka said.
With the tagline ‘Wardrobe-il idle, Polling booth-il viral’ meaning ‘clothes lying idle in your wardrobe can go viral in polling booths’, the collection will be launched soon.
The Election Commission had earlier issued guidelines for the provision of mobile deposit facilities outside polling stations. Instead of using new materials, the idea is to reuse donated clothing to create these mobile holders, the collector said.
A three-day collection drive will be held at the civil station in Ernakulam where people can donate clothes like kurtas, dresses and bed sheets. These will be used to create hanging mobile storage units made entirely of pure cotton fabric, designed to hold 9-12 phones.
“Items must be clean and only those made entirely of pure cotton will be accepted. Materials containing synthetic or blended fabrics will not be allowed. This way we want to send a message about sustainability and upcycling,” she said.
There are 3148 polling booths in Ernakulam and around 3200 mobile depots made of cotton fabrics will be set up. She added that a Kudumbashree tailoring unit has already been identified to manufacture these storage bags. In addition, the waste generated after voting will be used to make souvenirs such as pen stands, paperweights, lanterns and flower pots.
“The election souvenir is another unique concept introduced by the Collector. The paper and plastic waste generated after the elections will be collected to create these items. We are currently in talks with NGOs. Right now we are focusing on the collection,” said Sheethal G. Mohan, Nodal Officer for Green Elections and District Coordinator of Mission Suchitwa.
Published – 22 March 2026 19:21 IST
