“We manage to collect 35 per cent of clothes today” in France with “a levelling off phenomenon”, said Simon Chassard, deputy chief of staff to Ecology Minister Christophe Béchu, during a conference call.
At the same time, “the French consume on average 60 percent more clothing than they did 15 years ago and use it half as long”, he continued, presenting the roadmap for the Textiles sector, which should be published shortly in the Official Journal.
This roadmap is the result of a month-long consultation last October between the government, the public, companies, NGOs, local authorities, consumer associations and recycling stakeholders.
Reform of the Textiles sector
The anti-waste law for a circular economy (Loi AGEC) provides for a reform of the Textiles sector, which will come into force on 1 January 2023, explained Amélie Coantic, chief of staff to the Secretary of State for Ecology, Bérangère Couillard. Ms Coantic detailed the “five projects” that will be financed by the €1 billion in eco-taxes from the Textiles sector, an extended producer responsibility (EPR) sector.
These measures include “financial bonuses” in the form of lower eco-taxes for distributors of products made from recyclable materials and improvements to the collection network “particularly in rural areas”. But also “cheaper repair packages” for clothes and shoes for consumers and the financing of associations and companies working in the second-hand sector. In parallel, an “eco-score” on labels should be deployed at the end of 2023 on a national scale, said Ms Coantic. (AFP)