Lawmakers in France back bill to tackle fast fashion's environmental toll
The legislation targets the curtailment of fast fashion trends and aims to control the surge in market volumes and associated detrimental effects in France.
The bill seeks to bolster awareness among consumers in France regarding the ecological consequences of fast fashion, while also promoting options for clothing reuse and repair.
The proposal looks to broaden the scope for adjusting eco-contributions based on the ecological footprint of garments. It also includes provisions to ban advertisements from firms and products that are linked with fast fashion practices.
A total of 337 senates voted in favour of the bill with only one dissenting vote on 10 June 2025.
The bill was proposed by member of parliament Anne-Cecile Violland and several of her colleagues. It was passed by the National Assembly on 14 March last year. The Senate's Committee on Regional Planning and Sustainable Development examined the bill in the same month.
The legislation is not yet finalised, as a joint committee of senate and national assembly members is scheduled to convene from September to create a unified version before the law's ultimate ratification.
Notification to the European Commission is also required prior to the final endorsement to ensure compliance with EU regulations.
Globally, the apparel industry sees over 100 billion pieces of clothing sold each year. France has experienced a significant increase in clothing sales over the past decade, with an additional one billion items pushing the annual total to 3.3 billion products, equating to more than 48 items per person.
The textile and fashion sector is a major contributor to environmental concerns, accounting for roughly 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions—surpassing the combined emissions from all international flights and maritime shipping.
Facing this intense competition, France's traditional clothing industry is under pressure. In light of climate change commitments, there is a pressing need to revert to sustainable levels of production in the industry.
The Textiles Industry Union in France labelled the bill "a first step" and expressed hope for its "rapid adoption," despite it not fully meeting their expectations.
Following recommendations from the Committee on Regional Planning and Sustainable Development, the French Senate has refined the definition of fast fashion to legally solidify the framework. The amendments include promoting product repairability and specifying regulations for online marketplaces.
The senate also aims to enhance consumer awareness messages by including information about the social impacts of products.
To achieve these objectives, the senate has resolved to redirect funding towards recycling operations within France, rather than supporting collection and recycling infrastructure abroad. This move is intended to bolster domestic recycling capabilities.
It also seeks to adopt a more balanced strategy that is less punitive regarding fast fashion advertising. This includes banning influencers from promoting fast-fashion items, as they are currently key marketing channels for such brands.
Additionally, it mandates concise environmental impact disclosures in advertising content for fast-fashion products.
"Lawmakers in France back bill to tackle fast fashion's environmental toll" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand.
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