To cut waste, France eyes paying people for shoes, clothing repairs

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Jul 2023 23:59

Starting October, the aid's purpose aims to financially support organizations specializing in reusing and recycling clothing.

French shoemaker Weston's employee sews a shoe at the firm's factory, on January 10, 2023, where shoes are produced using traditional shoe-making techniques. (AFP)

According to the government, France will start offering bonuses in October to incentivize individuals to get old clothing and footwear mended rather than throwing them away.

The initiative aims to reduce the 700,000 tonnes of clothing that French citizens 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," Berangere Couillard, the Secretary of State for Ecology, said on July 11, while being on a visit to the Paris premises of La Caserne.

Couillard invited "all sewing workshops and shoemakers to join the system" to be labeled by eco-organization Refashion.

Customers can make claims from a 154 million euro fund set up to cover 2023 – 2028 for 7 euros ($7.7) to fix a heel and 10 – 25 euros to fix garments under the plan.

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 goal is to support those who do the repairs," Couillard said, referring to brands that provide repair services as well as sewing studios.

The aid, which is based on the household appliance repair bonus, is a component of a comprehensive reform of the textile industry, one of the most polluting on the planet, that the French government started at the end of 2022. One of its goals is to make brands more accountable for their supply chains and to give money to groups that reuse and recycle garments.