Why the French government is funding residents’ clothing and shoe repairs G1

1 of 1 Free repairs: Why the French government is paying to repair residents’ clothes and shoes. — Photo: Sarah Brown / Unsplash Free repairs: Why the French government pays to repair residents’ clothes and shoes. — Photo: Sarah Brown / Unsplash

The French government this week announced it would pay a bounty to residents who want to repair damaged clothing or shoes.

The program, which will come into effect in October, grants a discount of 6 to 25 euros on the repair of parts about 30 to 134 R$ depending on the price of this Friday (14).

The announcement was made by the country’s Secretary of State for Ecology, Bérangère Couillard, during a visit to a sustainable fashion center in Paris, Le Monde newspaper reported. The forecast is for the discounts to be applied directly to the service invoice.

According to a table released by the minister, part of the breakdown of governmentsponsored repairs will be as follows:

  • sew a hole: 7 euros;
  • change a jump: 7 euros;
  • Gluing a shoe sole: 8 euro;
  • to undress a garment: up to 25 euros.

Bérangère Couillard explained that the services are funded by a Fund of 154 million euros (approx. 830 million R$) consists of taxes paid by the textile sector. The deferred amount must be valid for the next five years.

“This aid is financed by the contribution of the manufacturers in the sector and will reduce the cost of your repairs. From October it will be easier to fix your clothes and shoes than to buy new ones,” the secretary wrote on her Twitter account.

Why will the French government pay for the repairs?

The main aim of the program is reduce waste in the country. According to Minister Bérangère Couillard, an estimated 700,000 tons of clothing are thrown away in France every year of which around 466,000 tons end up in landfills.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the Minister for the Environment had invited all the country’s sewing workshops and shoemakers to join the project, which is managed by the organization Refashion.

“The goal is to support those who are making repairs,” Couillard said during a visit to Paris. This would encourage garages and retailers to offer repair services “in hopes of creating jobs again,” he continued.

The project is part of a broader effort by the French government, which began late last year, to reform the textile industry, which is said to be one of the most polluting in the world.

Local clothing and textile stores are also required to include information on the labels about the material used and the country where the item was produced and manufactured.