France is one step closer to taxing fast fashion

As the curtain closes on Paris Fashion Week, the French government advanced a step closer to imposing penalties on fast fashion producers. Proposed on Monday by parliament ministers, a new bill suggests fines of up to 10 euros or 50 percent of the selling price of garments for major players like Shein, aiming to counterbalance their environmental impact.

French Environment Minister Christophe Bechu outlined several measures to curtail the ecological footprint of the fashion industry after consultations with industry stakeholders, activists, and researchers, said France’s AFP news agency. The legislation, set for debate on March 14th, specifically targets fast fashion brands and e-commerce platforms offering a myriad of inexpensive, lower-quality garments, predominantly imported from Asia.

The bill's objective is to diminish the environmental consequences of the textile industry by enhancing consumer information and prohibiting advertising related to this transient fashion. Minister Béchu criticized companies profiting from low-priced products, stating that they leave the planet to bear the costs of rectifying the damage caused by their production methods, emphasizing the need to address decontamination and used clothing collection expenses.

In addition to the proposed legislation, a public consultation on environmental labeling for textiles is scheduled for mid-March, aiming to establish a decree-worthy framework by the end of April, AFP noted. Minister Béchu also revealed plans for a targeted advertising campaign against fast fashion as part of the government's broader efforts to promote sustainable practices in the industry.