Introducing Laws Against Over-Consumption
Selin Ginik | Originally Published: 28 November 2025
Worldwide turbulence has ensued over France’s legal action against fast fashion. France’s actions aim to address the ecological and ethical issues of many major fast-fashion companies, including Shein, H&M, Zara. The gratification of consumption drives many of these companies to contribute to widespread ecological damage and even raise concerns about questionable human rights practices. According to France’s environmental agency, 35 clothing items are discarded every second. With France’s growing concerns and its status as the first country to implement stricter laws against the harm fast fashion causes, France is becoming the first stepping stone toward saving our ecological world. Such causes have led to the French state taking its first-ever legislative action against fast fashion and the overconsumption of clothes, which are both slowing down the ecological and human life cycles.
What is Fast Fashion?
Fast-fashion, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.” Clothing ads and shopping are always flaunted in billboards or the advertisements you see on social media, often disguised as an ‘aesthetic’ lifestyle required for individuals to fit into society. The stratification to fit into a fashion trend has inevitably led many fast-fashion producers to cater to the latest media trend, in the name of fitting in. However, with society’s trends constantly changing, there is a need to change clothes to keep up with the next fashion trend. With many stores unable to keep up with the drastic, constant changes in high-quality fashion, they resort to catering to the public using fast, cheap, and reliable clothes that fit the status quo. Accordingly, fast fashion has become a mainstream phenomenon.
Why is Fast Fashion Harmful?
In an Earth.org article, Rashmila Maiti revealed that the fashion industry is one of the most significant factors of carbon emissions, as it is “responsible for 10% of total global CO2 emissions.” The rise of fast fashion began with the exploitation of sweatshop workers in the 1800s. As described by Ocean Generation, sweatshop workers are those who work manually in factories and workshops, in transactions, earning low wages for all the hard work. However, with the inevitable rise in fashion over two centuries, in the modern context, the demand for more clothing production has led to an increase in sweatshop workers and harsher conditions with low wages. Statistics published by an anti-slavery organization reflect that 27.6 million people face varying forms of forced labour globally, of which 17.3 million are exploited in the private economy, and 3.9 million are subjected to state-imposed forced labour. According to the organization, the rising number of workers in sweatshops with harsh conditions is a form of modern-day forced labour to supply goods that are flaunted.
The French Law Against Fast Fashion
To reduce the ecological damage caused by excessive clothing, the French government proposed measures to curb overspending. For example, the government is planning to ban advertising and influencers, and possibly impose fines, for promoting brands such as Zara and Shein, which rely heavily on advertising to stay current with the latest trends. Additionally, the government will be imposing fines on fast-fashion brands, rising from €5 per item in 2025 to €10 by 2030. These fines will be used to help fund France’s sustainable fashion brands, promoting a more ecological, ethical approach to fashion consumption and distribution and helping minimize France’s carbon footprint.
What’s the Big Picture Impact of France’s Actions?
France’s initiative to promote sustainability and environmental health aligns with the European Union (EU)’s Digital Product Passport initiative. This strategy will include strict design regulations on clothing and against misleading materials, as well as product regulations, with brands facing fines of up to 10% for noncompliance. It’s clear that EU countries are following a path to sustain a mindful carbon footprint. The EU’s efforts reflect an understanding that fast fashion harms not only consumers but also the global environment. France’s initiative of stepping up with its legal enforcement only brings in a change for the future of clothing; the distributions, regulations, and consumption, hoping to slow down the damage of fast-fashion.
References
1. Anti-Slavery International. “Slavery in Supply Chains.” Anti-Slavery International. Accessed November 25, 2025. https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/slavery-in-global-supply-chains/.
2. Bick, Rachel, Erika Halsey, and Christine C. Ekenga. 2018. “The Global Environmental Injustice of Fast Fashion.” Environmental Health 17: 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7. BioMed Central
3. Mulhern, Owen. 2020. “Impacts of Fast Fashion on the Environment.” Earth.Org. December 2, 2020. https://earth.org/data_visualization/impacts-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment/. Earth.Org
4. Marie Claire. n.d. “Why Is France Taking on Fast Fashion?” Marie Claire UK. https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/france-fast-fashion-ban#:~:text=So%20why%20is%20France%20taking,1%25%20recycled%20into%20new%20garments.
5. “Fast Fashion.” Britannica. n.d.. https://www.britannica.com/art/fast-fashion.
6. “Fast Fashion.” Merriam-Webster.com. n.d. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast%20fashion.
7. “Fast Fashion.” University of Pennsylvania, Environmental Studies. n.d. “Fast Fashion and the Environment.” Penn Environment. https://environment.upenn.edu/news-events/news/fast-fashion.
8. ESG News. n.d. “France Targets Ultra-Fast Fashion with Eco-Tax, Ad Ban, and Transparency Rules.” https://esgnews.com/france-targets-ultra-fast-fashion-with-eco-tax-ad-ban-and-transparency-rules/.Ocean Generation. n.d. “The History of Fast Fashion.”
9. Ocean Generation. https://oceangeneration.org/the-history-of-fast-fashion/#:~:text=In%201990%2C%20the%20New%20York%20Times%20published,term%20’fast%20fashion’%20for%20the%20first%20time.
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