“With time, with time, everything goes away”… And this free service, popular with the French for several decades, is no exception. Since June 2026, it has gradually disappeared from the territory. Here are the first regions concerned.
A problem that has come to light since last year. In July 2025, the alarm bells were sounded by the association The Relay to alert the French government. This year, the first effects of the textile collection crisis are finally being felt throughout France – starting in the west. On Friday June 5, 2026, the community of communes of Mont des avaloirs, in Mayenne in the Pays de la Loire, announced the definitive end of the clothing collection on its territory (West France). Same story for the Pays de Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Agglomération (Commequiers, Coëx, L’Aiguillon sur Vie, Landevieille, Le Fenouiller, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez) and the areas of Morbihan and central Brittany (Baud, Camors, Melrand, Pluméliau, Plumelin…) (Actu.fr).
Where last year’s discussions remained at the theoretical, fictitious, almost unrealistic stage, 2026 will have kicked into high gear and made them a reality. This follows the announcement of the association created in 1984, which explained that it had to reduce the collection of textiles, household linens and shoes by 15,000 tonnes from June 1. Around 60 integration jobs will also be eliminated.
In France, The Relay has existed for 40 years. However, despite this longevity, its future has been called into question for several years: its economic model is no longer profitable, because it is unsuitable for current clothing consumption practices. Specialists even wonder if this service is not doomed to die permanently. Indeed, at present, The Relay can no longer be profitable. How to explain it?
The association actually finances itself in several ways. On the one hand, it sells to other markets (Africa, Eastern Europe) the part of the clothing that it has not managed to recycle. The problem is that competition is more intense and it is more difficult to liquidate its non-recycled assets.
At issue: China, which is flooding the market with second-hand goods cheaper than ours, but also the resurgence of coins in circulation and deposited coins: our colleagues from Echoes speak of a 50% increase compared to 2020, with 3.5 billion coins circulating in 2024; and 289,000 tonnes of deposits in 2024 compared to 268,000 the previous year. The Relay is thus forced to sell at a loss by selling off his bales of clothing.
Additionally, people prefer to sell their sleepwear themselves on platforms like Vinted : The Relay therefore only collects the crumbs – low quality pieces from which it is difficult to make a profit.
On the other hand, The Relay also survives thanks to state aid, which gives it financial compensation for each ton of clothing sorted. However, this aid is no longer sufficient to pay its expenses: it now amounts to 156 euros; when the association demands 304 to continue to function well…
