Anti-Waste Law
What does the new anti-waste bill consist of?
At the beginning of 2020, the anti-waste bill for a circular economy, after being adopted by the National Assembly, was unanimously adopted by the Senate on Thursday, January 30.
This ambitious bill aims to fundamentally transform our production and consumption habits. It seeks to end the use of single-use plastics, better inform consumers about their impact on our planet, combat planned obsolescence, and promote more sustainable products for both consumers and the environment.
And even though 2040 is the target year for the complete elimination of plastic, numerous restrictions have already been put in place. On January 1, 2020, the ban on disposable cups, plates, and cotton swabs came into effect. On January 1 of this year, plans are underway to ban straws, cutlery, stirrers, expanded polystyrene containers, and many other items.
Waste reduction in the textile industry…
This bill will mark a significant turning point, particularly for the management of unsold goods and the fashion industry. In France, more than 630 million euros, or 600,000 tons of products, are thrown away each year.
In the fashion industry, between 10,000 and 20,000 tons of textiles are destroyed each year in France. The French government, which had already introduced several measures to boost the circular economy and reduce clothing waste, has taken radical steps in this legislation. Those in the textile industry, who have been singled out for criticism, will now be required to donate or recycle their unsold products.
The measure, which comes into effect on December 31, 2021, will aim to force textile companies to find alternative solutions to the destruction of their unsold goods.
Credit: Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition
Credit: Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition
… But also their proper management
The law aims to reduce business waste and ensure that it is properly managed. Therefore, it will also seek to extend the responsibility of producers and manufacturers to the management of their waste. This already exists in France under the name "extended producer responsibility," which involves manufacturers participating in the end-of-life management of their waste.
This funding is mandatory for textile and footwear companies through the Eco TLC scheme (Clothing Textiles, Household Linen, and Footwear). However, as controls are not yet in place, many companies in the sector are still not members of Eco TLC.
And at JULES & JENN…
From our inception, we have been members of the Eco TLC network, participating in the management and recycling of our waste. At the beginning of the year, we also launched a "Stop Plastics" project to eliminate all plastic from our packaging. With the help of our workshops , we have already reviewed and modified all the packaging for our shoes, belts, and wallets. For example, all our belts are now packaged directly in the workshop in the GOTS-certified organic cotton pouch that you receive at home. So, no more plastic between the belt workshop and our warehouse!
We welcome these new regulations, as fighting waste has always been an integral part of our DNA. Indeed, since the beginning of our business, we have always championed "consume less, consume better" and have been strong advocates of the circular economy. We make it a point of honor not to throw away our unsold items or products with minor defects.
Our New York belt for men and its pouch made of GOTS certified organic cotton
Recently, we introduced you to our collaboration with the charity Oxfam France. This partnership allows us to give a second life to items with minor imperfections, those used for photoshoots, or even our prototypes. Instead of throwing them away, we donate them to Oxfam's clothing bank in Paris, the charity's new boutique dedicated to sustainable fashion and secondhand goods. And for all our discontinued items that won't be carried over to next year, as well as our unsold stock—since sales and the overconsumption they encourage go against our values—we organize Solidarity End-of-Line Sales instead!
Thierry, Oxfam's Clothing Manager, commented last: "Hello Jennifer... thank you for all your beautiful shoes... our customers are already enjoying them... the belts are also great... unfortunately our male customers were eagerly awaiting this new shipment... so, we're heartbroken... in any case, a very big thank you indeed..."
At JULES & JENN, every day, on our own scale, we demonstrate that another kind of fashion is possible: responsible fashion. Find all the details of our approach, presented with complete transparency, on our project page, and to learn more about all the measures in this new Anti-Waste bill, we invite you to read the new bill.
