The World Briefly

July 17, 2023

Truth in Stitches

France

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The French government will pay citizens a “repair bonus” to have their clothes and shoes fixed instead of throwing them away, a scheme aimed at cutting waste and reforming the textile industry, the Guardian reported.

Starting in October, people will be able to claim back between $6 and $28 of the cost of mending their textiles in workshops or at cobblers that have joined the scheme.

State Secretary of Ecology Bérangère Couillard announced this week that sewing workshops and shoemakers are invited to join the initiative, which will be run by the eco-organization Refashion.

She said the repair bonus will be paid from a $173 million government fund, adding that the scheme will encourage workshops and retailers to offer repair services with “the hope of recreating jobs.”

More than 700,000 tons of clothing are thrown away in France every year, with two-thirds ending up in landfill.

Refashion hopes that the plan will encourage people to repair and reuse their textiles. It will also help reduce the amount of purchased clothes and encourage donations.

The bonus is part of a broader effort by the French government to tackle the issue of “fast fashion” in the textile industry – one of the most polluting industries on the planet.

The new measures would require clothing and textile stores to label items with the materials used and the country where it was made.

The repair bonus is similar to another government scheme offering bonuses to individuals who have household appliances repaired.

In 2020, France passed a law aimed at transforming production methods and consumption habits related to household goods. The legislation aims to reduce waste, preserve natural resources, protect biodiversity and address the climate crisis.

This story originally appeared in the July 17, 2023 newsletter, The Autocrat, the Lapdog.