The Fashion Capital of the World Is Fighting Fast Fashion

In an effort to combat “fast fashion,” France has launched a program that promotes repairing used clothes and shoes instead of replacing them.

The French government will spend €154 million over the next five years to promote the project in an effort to support the clothing repair sector, create new jobs, and limit the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills. The program is set to offer individuals a €7 rebate to replace a shoe heel and between €10-€25 to reline a jacket, skirt, or other garment.

Currently, over 700,000 tons of clothing end up in landfills each year in France. The French government, alongside its initiative to reduce fast fashion via the rebate program, has introduced a new regulation requiring the clothing industry to label the environmental impact of each item by the start of 2024. By the 1st of January 2024, manufacturers must list the amount of water that was used, any chemicals involved, the risk of microplastic emissions, and whether or not the garment used any recycled textiles.