France: more transparency and environmental labeling for the…

Good news! France is now the first country to require ecological labeling on garments. Who is affected by this law? Is it a revolutionary step? What is the goal? COSH! explains it all to you!

A legal obligation

A mandatory environmental labeling

From January 1, 2023, the French decree 2022 – 748 which imposes an obligation to inform the consumer of the qualities and ecological characteristics of a product, will apply to all products under a chain of the extended producer responsibility (EPR). This obligation concerns, among others: electrical equipment, furniture elements, household packaging and textile products (except leather articles). It will therefore apply to all brands of clothing and accessories that offer their products on the French market.

To which types of companies will this decree be applicable?

The decree applies from now on to companies whose turnover is equal to or superior to 10 million euros, or which put more than 10,000 waste-generating units per year on the French market. This concerns the largest textile companies such as Inditex, LVMH, or H&M. Then, from 2024 and 2025, will come the whole of the smallest companies of clothing.

More transparency on your products

This decree is good news for consumers who wish to consume in a more conscious way, but it is also a way to force manufacturers to think upstream about their production method and the sustainability of their products.

A small label that will bring big changes

Each pair of shoes, t‑shirt, jeans, and packaging will have to carry a detailed label on repairability, recyclability, durability, reusability, recycled content, use of renewable resources, traceability and the presence of plastic microfibers. This information must be translated into French and made available in stores, online and after the sale.

The goal of this decree

For consumers

At COSH! we have long understood that empowering consumers to make conscious decisions about their purchases will allow them to manage their own waste and have a direct impact on the industry as a whole. That’s why we bring visibility to entrepreneurs who are already doing this work and who have not been forced to do so by law. Our mission: “To make fashion more accessible, transparent, and sustainable while creating the largest global community to accelerate the shift to sustainable and ethical fashion.” Niki de Schryver, founder of COSH!

For the textile industry

This decree will encourage more transparency from brands regarding their supply chain. We hope that the reflection will start from the design stage and that the second life of the product will be taken into account. Indeed, the responsibility is sometimes directed towards the consumers while the manufacturers do not respect their obligations. It is clear that we have to change our way of consuming, but manufacturers have to do most of the work. This decree will allow manufacturers to face up to their use of natural resources. More transparency will perhaps lead to more ethics on their part and therefore less “greenwashing”. The government hopes that the law will bring a reduction in the mountains of textile waste produced and an extension of the life of products sold in France, as well as more recycling. To learn more about clothing waste in France, read this blog.

A revolutionary step for the textile industry?

As said before, this decree only applies to textile products sold in France. But how will this new decree fit with the decisions taken by the European Union? Could the different requirements work together?

A national and international emergency

This French decision precedes broader European legislation that is expected to mandate climate-impact labeling throughout the European Union (EU). The EU has recently passed similar laws regarding this sector. By 2025, clothing will have digital passports to the targets in the Green Deal. If you want to know more about the upcoming European legislation, click here. The urgency is therefore international, France is the first country to act in this direction, but this requirement for transparency should be transnational as soon as possible: “Alone, we go faster, together, we go further. This is why COSH! has chosen to join forces with the Spanish platform Ethical Time.

“Alone we go faster, together we go further” Niki de Schryver, founder COSH!

A revolutionary step?

The decree specifies that the obligation does not concern leather goods, which are nevertheless manufactured in a polluting way. To learn more about the impact of leather on the environment, consult our blog.

Unfortunately, for the big textile groups that refuse to take their responsibility, only legal and punitive decisions seem to work. Indeed, these brands could have brought more transparency on their own, but they often wait for a disaster at the expense of human lives and our biodiversity. In case of non-compliance with the measure, the law provides for sanctions and a fine of up to €15,000 per failure and per company. However, some groups prefer to pay the fines rather than improve their impact, because profits are more important.

At COSH! we encourage legislation that supports our mission and note that binding legal decisions often advance the industry. This is also the case for cities that support their eco-responsible entrepreneurs like Bruges or Antwerp.