Made in France, recycling and heavy taxes

On Wednesday, Clément Beaune unveiled the outline of a study on fast fashion from the High Commission for Strategy and Planning, which he leads. The study advocates for clothing made in France, recycling and heavy taxes to combat the massive influx of these products.

Ahead of the report’s publication on Friday, titled “Fast fashion: a misleading remedy for the purchasing power problem”, Beaune explained on RMC that it was ultimately “cheaper to buy sustainably”.

“If you wear your durable ‘Made in France’ jeans, produced under good conditions, they will remain in good condition after a year of daily wear. In contrast, a pair bought from a major platform will be destroyed,” he observed.

“We have seen that a dress is worn on average four times less when bought from an ultra-fast fashion retailer; a coat eight times less; and a pair of jeans seven times less,” he listed, urging people to consider the ‘cost per wear’ of a garment, rather than its purchase price.

Avoiding deindustrialisation

He also suggested that the “second-hand and repair sector should be encouraged”, proposing a reduced VAT on these activities.
Furthermore, Beaune advocated for a “substantial tax” on these products entering the European Union, “to halt the surge from these platforms. We must not relive what we experienced 25 years ago in France and across Europe with deindustrialisation, a chic term for saying we closed factories everywhere”.

According to him, “there is still time to save brands and jobs”. He acknowledged that “sometimes there will be a debate with purchasing power”. However, “our job is also to think long-term,” he argued.
The study also proposes the introduction of an ‘eco-voucher’, based on a model already used in Belgium, to encourage the purchase of environmentally friendly products and services.

“It is somewhat like holiday vouchers. Companies could voluntarily provide a supplementary income in the form of a voucher to buy sustainable clothing produced in France or Europe. This would come with no charges or contributions for the employer,” explained the High Commissioner.