From 5 to 25 euros on a simple product, this is the promise of this new anti-waste bonus announced by the government.
After the repair bonus for household appliances, new assistance was introduced at the end of the year. The principle is the same, the French are encouraged to repair more rather than throw away. But where a breakdown of a household appliance can be costly both in terms of budget and effort to get rid of often bulky products, the government is this time targeting much smaller products but present in large numbers in our homes: textiles, i.e. almost any kind of clothing.
The system is called “textile repair bonus” and the principle, announced in November 2023, is rather simple: if you have an item of clothing or a pair of shoes repaired by an approved professional, you will benefit from a small discount. Concretely, this “textile repair bonus” works like a reward program. If the consumer chooses repair rather than replacement, he saves a few euros each time. Only household linen and underwear are not affected. Sweaters, pants, shoes, zipper repairs, everything else can earn you a little bonus.
A precise scale has even been published. Concretely, the textile repair bonus functions as a reward program for consumers who choose repair rather than replacement. When a customer goes to a certified repairer, he can benefit from a discount on the cost of the repair depending on the nature of the work carried out. For example, for shoes, the bonus varies from 8 euros for a skate repair to 25 euros for a leather resoling. For clothing, discounts range from 6 to 25 euros depending on the type of repair, whether it is a mending, a seam to be redone or the replacement of a lining.
The textile repair bonus does not apply to simple alterations, such as hemming clothing, but only to repairs. Hole, broken seam, worn shoe sole… The possibilities are numerous. In addition, bonuses can be combined on the same product, provided that the total does not exceed 60% of the total cost of the repair. The system is managed by Refashion, the eco-organization for the textile, clothing, household linen and shoes sector. The fund is thus financed by the textile brands themselves and aims to better regulate the end of life of textile products. Today, one too many of them still end up in landfills instead of getting a second life…