France's efforts to combat food waste in recent years have yielded initial results. Now, the government is turning its attention to the less-discussed issue of clothing waste, intending to prohibit clothing brands from arbitrarily discarding unsold new garments. In 2016, France mandated that large department stores donate unsold food to charities, prohibiting its disposal or destruction; at the time, it was the first country in the world to enact an anti-food waste law. The Ministry of Agriculture stated that in the two years since the law's enactment, it has achieved very positive results, with food donations to charities increasing by 22%. Italy, Peru, and Finland have followed suit. Last April, the French government reiterated its commitment to combating food waste, with parliament discussing measures to mandate that restaurants provide free takeaways of uneaten food, aiming to halve food waste by 2025. Having achieved some success in rescuing leftover food, the government plans to begin rescuing "leftover clothing," namely unsold new garments. This week, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe unveiled a reform framework for the circular economy, mentioning the government's intention to introduce a ban on discarding unsold new clothing by 2019. This could potentially force clothing brands to connect with charities for clothing donations. Some French organizations specialize in collecting used clothing, washing and reselling or donating items in good condition, and turning damaged items into rags or other fibers. Emmaus is one of the most well-known such organizations. Valerie Fayard, Deputy CEO of Emmaus, told the environmental watchdog Novethic that the government's intention is good news, giving them time to investigate the current situation, including how much clothing is being discarded and the procedures clothing brands use to handle unsold items. The "fast fashion" trend, popular in recent years, is often criticized. These garments attract consumers with low prices, but reports frequently surface about labor exploitation and environmental pollution in production. Their mass production and rapid turnover also easily lead to large amounts of waste. Le Figaro reported that in October last year, a Danish television program, Operation X, investigated and found that clothing brand H&M was burning unsold clothing, possibly amounting to more than ten metric tons annually. H&M admitted to this, but claimed that only products that did not fully meet safety standards, could not be sold, or could not be recycled were sent for incineration. In addition, clothing retailer Celio was recently found to be discarding clothing, sparking public outrage on French social media. The report cited data from the non-profit organization Eco TLC, stating that the textile industry is the second most polluting industry after the oil industry, placing a significant burden on the environment both in its manufacturing process and transportation. The French purchase 600,000 metric tons of clothing, textiles, and shoes annually, but only one-third is recycled, indicating significant room for improvement. (Editor: Gao Zhaofen) Source: CSRone Sustainability Report Platform (2018-04-30)
