This autumn, the French government will launch a new programme that will pay people to repair clothing items and shoes in an effort to cut down on the vast amount of fast fashion waste clogging the nation’s landfills. 

Estimates put the volume of clothing and shoes that wind up in French landfills every year to be in the 700,000 tonne range. This accounts for some two-thirds of all waste destined for rubbish heaps, and is a serious environmental problem that is only getting worse.  

SUBSIDIES FOR REPAIRS 

In an attempt to cut down on the number of pieces being needlessly discarded, the French government is launching a new plan, starting in October, whereby people can claim back up to €7 on shoe repairs and €10 to €25 for clothes.  

“From October, consumers will be supported in the repair of their clothes and shoes,” State Secretary for Ecology Bérangère Couillard said on 11th July during a visit to La Caserne, a responsible fashion hub in Paris.  

These pay outs will come from a €154 million fund set up expressly to cover these expenses for a five-year period from 2023 to 2028.  

RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING 

The goal is to make it reflexive to try and mend things rather than bin them so as to reduce negative effects on the environment, such as the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions – some four billion tonnes – that the fashion industry churns out each year.

This new programme is all part of a reform of the clothing industry brought about by the French government in 2022. Objectives include accountability and traceability by brands, as well as giving funding to associations who reuse and recycle clothing to create a more circular economy.  

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Photo source: Omar Alrawi, Unsplash