According to the French Environment Agency, 35 clothing items are thrown away every second in France, Fortune reported. The country is now taking legislative steps in an attempt to curb waste from fashion. France's Senate has advanced legislation that would crack down on ultra-fast fashion brands that flood their market with low-cost, short-lived clothing, per the Iosco County News Herald.
The bill's discussion follows a version of the bill passed by France's lower house last March, which lawmakers are now fine-tuning to more directly target overseas giants, especially brands like Shein.
The fashion industry is now the second-largest consumer of water, per Earth.org, and is responsible for 10% of global pollution, even more than international flights and shipping combined, according to the UN. Fast fashion garments are designed to fall apart, they pollute waterways with microplastics, and they ultimately end up in landfills.
On June 10, the French Senate adopted the bill with 337 votes in favor and just one against, the Boston University School of Public Health reported. The bill bans fast fashion advertisements, per Reuters, and imposes direct sanctions on companies with high environmental costs, according to France 24.
Before the law can take effect, it will go to a joint committee of deputies and senators in September, and the European Commission must review it for compliance.
French lawmakers hope this approach will better protect French and European brands, as well as promote conscious consumerism, per Impact France.
"This is about preserving brands that are affordable and accessible to all French people," said senator Sylvie Valente Le Hir, per the Iosco County News Herald, who has vocally criticized the "unfair competition" posed by ultra-fast fashion imports.
"We need to establish rules, hit them as hard as possible," she added.
The minister for ecological transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, stated that this bill "is a major step in the fight against the economic and environmental impact of fast fashion, and a strong signal sent to businesses and to consumers," according to France 24.
"Bravo!" one user exclaimed in a post on X about the news.
Another post stated, "France has the chance to rein in fast fashion, but it needs the EU to follow suit."
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