The Government of France announced that starting in October, it will reward citizens who choose to have their clothing and footwear mended as opposed to discarding them. With this change, French citizens hope to reduce the 700,000 tonnes of clothing they discard annually, two-thirds of which end up in landfills.
“From October, consumers will be able to be supported in the repair of their clothes and shoes,” secretary of state for ecology Berangere Couillard said Tuesday during a visit to the Paris premises of La Caserne, a hub for responsible fashion.
She urged “all shoemakers and sewing workshops to join the system” and receive the Refashion label.
Customers will be able to make claims from a € 154 million fund established to cover 2023–2028 for € 7 for fixing a heel and € 10–25 for wardrobe repairs under the programme.
According to Refashion, which has been tasked by the government to assist a more sustainable business, 3.3 billion items of apparel, shoes, and household linen were sold in France in 2022.
The aid, which is based on the household appliance repair bonus, is a component of a comprehensive reform of the world’s most polluting industry, the textile sector, launched by the French government at the end of 2022.
Among its goals are to compel manufacturers to increase their traceability and to give money to groups that focus on recycling and reusing garments.
