EU Enforces Ban on Destroying Unsold Clothes and Shoes
EU ban on destruction of unsold clothes and shoes enters into application
Starting July 19, large EU companies can no longer destroy unsold clothes and shoes, with medium-sized firms following by 2030. This rule under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation forces businesses to prioritize selling, donating, or repairing items instead of burning them. The move aims to save resources and cut emissions, targeting the estimated 4-9% of textiles currently wasted before use.
When new, usable goods are discarded, the raw materials, water, energy and labour invested in their production are lost, while their disposal generates avoidable greenhouse gas emissions.
- radu_floricica
> To prevent misuse, businesses relying on these exemptions must provide proof (e.g. documents or test results) and publish annual reports on what they have discarded.
I wonder if anybody is keeping track of everything a mid size business needs to take care of. Each particular report probably sounds like a reasonable request, but by now they're probably well into hundreds, and they're all outside the actual scope of the business (e.g. it may seem manageable for the bureaucrats designing them, because that's what they deal with all day, but not for a small organization doing... something else).
- bananamogul
"Companies may only destroy unsold clothes and shoes in limited cases, such as when items are unsafe or damaged, counterfeit or infringing intellectual property rights, or are rejected by charities or donation schemes."
Nike's unsold, defective, or returned shoes are ground up to make carpet padding. They're processed by the truckload in a large grinding machine.
It seems that under these rules, this would be illegal - ?
- nieksand
It seems like this policy would lead to shortages in less common sizes of clothing.
- dash2
I don’t understand why they would ban this rather than charge for it. It seems very likely that destroying unsold clothes is sometimes the socially efficient thing to do, even after taking into account the environmental externalities.
- sajithdilshan
I’m pretty sure all those brands would now export those clothes to non-EU Balkan countries or even Turkey to be destroyed.
- nerdyadventurer
Hope they do not dump it on Africa just like US and UK doing.
- https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jun/05/y...
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/18/discarded-clot...
- Saline9515
It looks like a great opportunity for mafia networks to get paid by clothing brands in order to dispose of the stocks.
- tancop
some places already do this for food where anything thats after sell by date but still safe to eat has to be donated to a food bank.
i think it should be expanded to cover more categories than food and clothes when reuse and recycling infra grows to take the demand. its not just good for the environment it also prevents producers from restricting supply to keep their profits high.
the ultimate goal is make it illegal to destroy or intentionally damage anything usable before it reaches consumers. that would create a new ecosystem of discount stores and giveaway centers, and save everyone a ton of money.
- storus
Africa is going to be full of old Versaces, Balenciagas, Guccis and Valentinos.
- WalterBright
Wouldn't that drive textile manufacturing out of the EU?