A bonus for the “repair” of textile goods must be put in place “from October” to encourage customers to have their clothes or shoes repaired rather than buying new ones, the Secretary of State said on Tuesday. in charge of Ecology Bérangère Couillard.
“From October, consumers will be able to be accompanied in the repair of their clothes and shoes,” explained Ms. Couillard during a visit to Paris of the premises of an incubator dedicated to responsible fashion, La Caserne.
Aid between 6 and 25 euros
This “repair bonus” for the textile sector will be endowed with a fund of 154 million euros over the period 2023-2028, the office of the Secretary of State had previously explained to AFP. The pricing of the aid offered must be between 6 and 25 euros, explained Ms. Couillard on Tuesday.
The Secretary of State “invites all sewing workshops and shoemakers to join the system, to be labeled” by the eco-organization Refashion which manages the fund and the label for the State. The aid could be, for example, 7 euros to redo a heel and reach 10 to 25 euros for a lining. These will be discounts applied directly to the repair invoice.
“The goal is to support all those who make the repairs”, detailed Ms. Couillard, referring to the workshops but “also the signs” which offer this service with the hope of “recreating jobs”.
The French throw away “700,000 tons of clothes every year”
In France, 3.3 billion pieces of clothing, shoes and pieces of household linen were put on the market in 2022, i.e. 500,000 more than in 2021, according to the Refashion organization which has been instructed by the government to support industry towards a more circular economy. The French “throw away 700,000 tons of clothing each year”, recalled Ms. Couillard, specifying that two thirds “end up in landfills”.
On the model of the household appliance repair bonus, the aid is part of a vast reform of the textile sector, one of the most polluting industries on the planet, initiated by the government since the end of 2022.
Among its objectives: to force brands to have more traceability, to financially support organizations specializing in the reuse and second life of clothing or to structure a recycling sector.
The reform provided for by the anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec Law) is based in particular on the billion euros of eco-contributions from producers, importers and distributors which should be released over the period 2023-2028 under the “polluter pays” principle.