Eco-modulation in France
Get a bonus for your textile products certified as bluesign® PRODUCT
Extended Producer Responsibility in France
Governments are increasingly legislating to improve circularity of material use in textile supply chains. France’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program is one such example. Not only does it require producers[1] to pay for the recycling and disposal of textile products at the end of their lives, it recognises and rewards producers who bring sustainably manufactured articles, such as bluesign certified products, to market. Producers are defined as
■ Manufacturers of products subject to EPR requirements that sell domestically or
■ Importers of products subject to EPR requirements or
■ Companies selling products subject to EPR requirements under own brand/name.
By law, textiles are subject to the EPR since January 1, 2007. It covers textile products, household linen and footwear sold in France. EPR also applies to numerous other economic sectors (electrical and electronic equipment, paper, packaging, lightbulbs, batteries, etc.).
The law obliges producers to provide for or contribute towards the management of waste for articles placed on the market for consumers.
To provide an individual waste collection and treatment system for sold products is for most companies a rather complex task as very specific requirements from the accrediting ministry need to be met.
An alternative solution is to transfer the responsibility to an organisation specifically dedicated to this mission (and which is already accredited by the public authorities) by financially contributing. In France, this can be done by registering with the eco-organisation Eco TLC / Refashion. Following link can be used for registration:
https://extranet.refashion.fr/en/
Producers and distributors of textile and footwear articles can register as a ‘Marketer’. Refashion will charge a per piece fee to finance a waste collection, recycling and disposal system. Companies registered at Refashion are released of their legal E.P.R obligation. The applicable fees can be retrieved under
https://refashion.fr/pro/en/2021-eco-fees-scale
How to get the ‘Eco-Modulation’ Bonus?
To encourage and reward the virtuous steps of eco-design, Refashion has implemented a bonus system called ‘eco-modulations’. Companies registered at Refashion can benefit from a per piece bonus under 3 eco-modulation schemes:
■ Bonuses for product sustainability (durability),
■ Bonuses for obtaining environmental labels,
■ Bonuses for incorporating raw materials from recycling.
bluesign is an environmental label that is recognized by Refashion. Hence, bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNERS that have their products certified as ‘bluesign® PRODUCT’ gain access to a very attractive bonus under the eco-modulation scheme. Up to 100’000 pieces per style the bonus is 0.3 Euros/piece. Above 100’000 pieces the bonus is counted as 0.03 Euros/piece. For 150’000 pieces of a style sold annually this would qualify for a bonus of
100’000 x 0.3 Cents + 50’000 x 0.03 Cents = 31’500 Euros
Those bonuses can be claimed annually. In year N (e.g. 2024) the certified article styles need to be declared. In year N+1 (e.g. 2025) the bonus will be paid upon the number of declared pieces. A detailed description how to apply for the Eco modulation bonuses can be retrieved from the Refashion website:
To benefit from bonuses in 2025 certified products with the label ‘bluesign® PRODUCTS’ must be declared before 30th of November 2024. Evidence of certification is shown by referring to the certified product style in the bluesign® GUIDE. The bluesign® GUIDE is a publicly available web application for the verification of certified articles and consumer products (www.bluesignguide.com).
Don’t miss the chance to get your bonus for your bluesign® PRODUCTS!
[1] According to Article L541-10 of the French Circular Economy Law, you are considered a producer if you are generating waste in France
