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France will start paying citizens to repair their clothing

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In a bid to reduce national textile waste, citizens in France will receive cashback payments in return for mending their clothes rather than throwing them out.

If evidence of a heavily polluted planet isn’t enough to stop people from throwing away their clothing at the first visible sign of wear, maybe paying them in cold hard cash will?

That’s what the French government had in mind when building a strategy to incentivise citizens to stop consuming so much clothing – especially items from fast fashion companies.

From October, a new initiative will be launched to allow French residents to claim money back on every item of clothing they get repaired. For each shoe or garment mended, individuals can receive between €6 to €25 in cash back, depending on the type of repair they need.

The scheme will be led by the eco-organisation Refashion, which is dedicated to promoting a culture of mending rather than disposing of clothing. In turn, this will reduce the amount of clothing sent to landfill each year.

Around 700,000 tons of clothing is thrown away each year in France alone – 10.5kgs per person – with two-thirds of this amount ending up in landfill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHnDqelUh-4&pp=ygURbGFuZGZpbGwgY2xvdGhpbmc%3D


A la mode

We know sustainability is in style, but getting the French to avoid purchasing new clothes is like telling the Brits to stop drinking so much tea.

This is why the secretary of state for ecology Bérangère Couillard has announced that the government will continue to pay citizens who repair their clothes for the next five years.

Payments will come from a €154 million government fund that has been set aside specifically for this cause. Officials hope that by popularising a culture of repairing clothing, citizens will be more inclined to buy long-lasting high-quality pieces.

Refashion wants to better educate the public about the impact of their shopping habits. The organisation says 56 percent of the donations it receives can be used again. A further 32 percent can be recycled into something new.

While most citizens in other countries have relied on the repair and recycle programs led by brands, the hope is that a surge in demand for tailor shop repairs will revive the industry by opening up more jobs in an industry that has been on a slow decline.

If it goes according to plan, it will be a simple but effective win for France. Let’s wait and see if other countries follow suit.

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). Originally from Bermuda, I moved to London to get a Master’s degree in Media & Communications and now write for Thred to spread the word about positive social change, specifically ocean health and marine conservation. You can also find me dipping my toes into other subjects like pop culture, health, wellness, style, and beauty.  Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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