France to subsidise repairs on clothing, shoes in bid to battle climate change

In a bid to battle climate change, France has introduced a scheme that will subsidise repairs to clothing and shoes as it hopes to reduce planet-heating pollution from the textile industry, reported CNN.

France’s Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion Bérangère Couillard announced that its citizens will get discounts varying from €6 to €25 depending on the complexity of the repair under the scheme.

For instance, a simple piece of restitching will receive a €6 subsidy, while resoling a pair of shows will qualify for a €25 rebate.

“It could encourage exactly the people who have bought, for example, shoes from a brand that makes good-quality shoes or likewise good-quality ready-to-wear to want to have them fixed instead of getting rid of them,” Couillard said at a news conference.

“And that is exactly the objective, to create a circular economy for shoes and textiles so that products last longer, because in government we believe in the second life of a product.”

The French minister said the textile industry is set to become the second most polluting industry in the world by 2050.

“What I hope is that the French will become aware of what we can see, that is the impact of the textile industry across the world today,” she said. “So they can themselves realize the aberration of the way in which we now consume.”

As per CNN, Couillard’s ministry has instructed Refashion, a French private organisation, to start the scheme.

Under the scheme, tailors, clothes brands, and repair shops interested in the scheme can join the initiative for free via Refashion. However, the organisation, which will give the subsidy instead of the government, will collect a small “eco-contribution” on sales to cover the discount. The scheme will to start in October.

For consumers, the subsidy will be taken straight off their bill. Refashion will then arrange for the companies signed up to the scheme to be refunded within 15 days.