Refashion continues its commitment to the circular economy

Let's go back to 2008, the Refashion eco-organization was set up by the TLC (textiles, household linen and footwear) sector and approved by the public authorities (Ministries of Ecology and the Economy), within the framework of extended producer responsibility (EPR).

"This is a unique approach specific to France to make marketers aware of the consequences of their production, which tomorrow will become waste with an ecological impact" points out Hélène Daret, Refashion's brands division director.

What's its vocation? To develop the textile waste management sector (collection, sorting and recycling), but also to act upstream, via eco-design and extending the useful life of products. Refashion supports its 10,000 or so TLC members in their move towards a circular economy, through tools, education, workshops, calls for projects, etc., while also deploying communication and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at consumers.

A new accreditation for 2023-2028

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Refashion's accreditation was renewed at the end of 2022 for the period 2023-2028. A new set of specifications has redefined its objectives and missions, in part redesigned by the Agec law (Anti Gaspillage pour une Économie Circulaire), passed in 2020.

To achieve them, Refashion has a budget fed 100% by eco-contributions paid by marketers (brands, importers and distributors...). "All new products put on the market must pay eco-contributions, the amount of which is set every year, averaging just under 4 centimes per item for 2024," explains Hélène Daret. Our budget should thus reach 1.2 billion euros over the next six years.

Always driven by the same mission of waste prevention and management, Refashion thus proposes new levers for action, aiming for ambitious targets in 2023-2028.

The first challenge concerns eco-design. In addition to, as always, free access to Eco-design, the platform dedicated to this sustainable approach,"it's now a question of rewarding eco-design with a new eco-modulation scheme that's particularly attractive financially,describes Hélène Daret. A certain number of euro cents will be paid back to contributors according to compliance with specifications drawn up by the public authorities, taking into account three main areas: sustainability, certification by an environmental label and the incorporation of recycled materials in the product. For example: a T-shirt paying an eco-contribution of 2 centimes could receive up to a one-euro bonus." In the same logic of pushing the industry towards constant improvement of its environmental impact, Refashion is working on the introduction of malus and penalties for the least virtuous products.

The second issue focuses on consumption."It aims to make the product last as long as possible, thanks in particular to the new repair fund, launched on November 7, 2023. The latter rewards with a discount (the textile and footwear repair bonus) consumers having a TLC item repaired by an approved repairer". By the end of March, 250,000 repairs accompanied by a bonus had been carried out in the 1040 partner stores, representing 2.3 million savings for the French. The ambition of the bonus is to reach 21.6 million textile and footwear items repaired in France, compared with 16 million in 2019. In parallel with this new scheme, Refashion continues to raise consumer awareness. In addition to providing free access to its Refashion Citoyen website, the organization is multiplying partnership actions and distributing short, fun formats, relayed by social networks and Youtube, encouraging the general public to sort, have repaired or upcycle their clothes.

Target: 60% of used clothes collected

The third challenge concerns the collection of used items. Today, 30% of products put on the market are collected via one of the more than 47,000 collection points that exist in France. "We're aiming for 60% by 2028. We're going to have to double collection capacity, both by helping the historic players and by developing new channels to encourage consumers to drop off the clothes and shoes they no longer wear" announces Hélène Daret, well aware of the challenge posed by "this new challenge, which is all the greater as we see an impressive and growing mass of clothing coming to market".

The collected products are then sorted. Today, six out of ten are reused, three out of ten are recycled (in the form of fibers, threads, frayed or shredded fabrics) and the balance (one out of ten) becomes solid recovered fuels (in place of fossil fuels) for district heating, with a tiny proportion being disposed of without recovery.

This mix turns out to be rather virtuous. "If we compare it with the various existing channels, the textile sector has a high rate of reuse and the lowest rate of disposal without recovery, emphasizes Hélène Daret. Our effort will consist in maintaining these proportions by also recovering products that are not necessarily reusable. A scheme driven by the AGEC law will help us to do this: the Fonds Réemploi, currently being tested by Refashion". And he gives the example of a shirt that has lost a button, which will be directed to social economy players or other professionals capable of repairing it for a second life. While today, less than 10% of items deemed suitable for re-use are resold in France (the rest being exported), this rate is set to rise. Indeed, the new specifications aim for a 15% rate of re-use and re-employment within 1,500 km of the used TLC collection point by 2027.

Textile waste: tomorrow's wealth

Since its beginnings, Refashion's role has also been"to provide various financial and human resources to help the recycling industry grow in France and Europe" and to accelerate R&D in this field, notably via calls for projects such as the Innovation Challenge. The organization also continues to make Recycle, its platform for recycled materials, available to professionals.

"Our challenge is to make people understand that textile waste is a raw material that will be a real source of wealth tomorrow. Our aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the sector. And in this field of recycling, we need a strong industrial sector..." explains Hélène Daret. A recycling rate of 80% of used, non-reused TLC is targeted for 2027 (compared with 70% in 2024).

Completing the 2023-2028 specifications will not be a smooth ride, admits Hélène Daret. The big challenge will be"to increase collection very significantly and resize recycling industrially, so that the entire industry will eventually be circular. Each link in the chain will have to be at the peak of its maturity and efficiency, which is not the case today. The industry is going to have to transform itself, and that's not easy in the current economic climate. However, its survival depends on it...".

For its part, Refashion, assures Hélène Daret, will "systematically favor products with the lowest environmental impact". She thus welcomes the introduction"of environmental labelling with a view to educating consumers and marketers". "The French industry must get to grips with this subject, as it will enable it to prove its low impact", she concludes.

For more information: https://refashion.fr/fr