French authorities will pay citizens for the repair of clothes and shoes – Kommersant

From October this year, France will begin a program of “repair bonuses”: the government will compensate citizens for the cost of repairing clothes and shoes so that they do not throw away good things, exacerbating the waste problem. This is reported The Guardian with reference to a statement by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Beranger Couillard.

In France, about 700,000 tons of clothes are thrown away every year. According to the authorities, a significant part of these things could continue to be used after a small repair. As part of the program, the government is ready to pay citizens for repairs in the amount of €6 to €25, and in total, the authorities will allocate €154 million for this initiative over five years. Any atelier for tailoring and repairing clothes and shoes is invited to participate in the program; this activity will be coordinated by the environmental organization Refashion.

The authorities also urge citizens not only to repair clothes and shoes, but also to donate good, but unnecessary things to those who need them more often. According to Refashion, 56% of donated clothes and shoes can be reused, while 32% can be recycled to make something new.

As Ms. Kuyyar noted, another goal of the bonus program is to support those small businesses, ateliers and workshops that are engaged in repairs. This support will allow them to expand the range of services and increase the number of jobs. In 2020, the French authorities launched a similar bonus scheme for the repair of household appliances, also with the aim of reducing waste and protecting the environment.

Alena Miklashevskaya