The French government has established the basement for a new model for the textile sector with a legislative proposal focused on boosting the circular economy. This proposal is based on the prohibition of burning or destroying the unsold clothing of the brands and stores and, instead, they have to be donated or professionally recycled in order to stop the serious environmental problems generated by the accumulation of textile waste.

One of the main points in France is to develop a system to accurately measure the tons of garments discarded each year and find the most appropriate procedures to reach the textile sector sustainability. According to data from Eco TLC, currently in France “from the 600,000 tons of clothing and footwear that come onto the market, the equivalent of nine kilos per inhabitant, only the third part is recovered. Of those recovered, the 62% is sold in second-hand stores, in France or abroad, the 22% goes to other industrial uses, the 9.5% becomes rags and the 6% is also incinerated “.

To launch the new model of circular economy in the world of fashion, the new legislation will focus on brands and businesses to collaborate with projects, like Recupenra, that actively work to revive the unsold items in order to reincorporate them to the market or to make a correct professional recycling.