France is taking bold aim at the fast fashion industry - and it’s bringing numbers to back it up. In a sweeping new bill, lawmakers propose slapping an “eco-contribution” fee of up to €10 per item on ultra-cheap clothing brands like Shein and Temu. The fee will scale based on a product’s environmental footprint, targeting garments with the highest cost to the planet.

The move comes amid rising concerns over overproduction and textile waste. France’s ecological transition agency reports that French consumers buy about 47 new clothing items every year, often wearing each piece just seven times before discarding it. Clothing has become so cheap and disposable that some retailers drop up to 10,000 new items a day. That rapid churn is now directly in the government’s sights. “We need to make ultra-fast fashion less attractive, less accessible, and less visible,” said MP Anne-Cécile Violland, who co-authored the bill.

The legislation doesn’t stop at pricing. It would ban advertising for fast fashion brands and limit their visibility across platforms, particularly those that target younger consumers through social media. The goal is to reduce demand and break the cycle of hyperconsumption driven by online algorithms and influencer culture. The bill also pushes brands to offer more transparent reporting on sustainability and labor conditions.

Fast fashion’s footprint is massive. The European Environment Agency estimates that textile consumption in the EU is the fourth largest source of environmental pressure, after food, housing, and transport. Globally, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. France’s new legislation is part of a broader EU shift toward a circular economy - one that values durability, repair, and reuse over endless new production.