In this age consumerism, we unnecessarily discard millions tons of clothes every year. A lot these items are as good as new. Some may be a little threadbare or miss a button or two. France has come with a new scheme to encourage people to increase the longevity their apparel. The government will pay a "repair bonus" to people who get their garments repaired special repair workshops, or take their shoes to a cobbler. The bonus allows individuals to claim back to $27 of the cost their repair bill. The scheme will be run an eco-organization called Refashion. The government said the goals of its new initiative are "to support those who carry repairs" and help the environment.
An estimated 700,000 tons of clothing are thrown in France every year. Around two-thirds of this ends in landfills. Furthermore, the global fashion industry accounts between 8-10 per cent of global carbon emissions every year. The emergence fast fashion has exacerbated this. Fast fashion is the practice purchasing cheap clothes to wear just a few times. It utilizes a lot synthetic materials and chemicals, which harm the environment. The Refashion group also aims to encourage people to reduce the amount clothing they buy, and to donate unwanted clothes and footwear charity. It says half of donations can be reused, and a third can be recycled something new.
