In a significant shift toward sustainable industry practices, the European Union has adopted new measures to curb one of the fashion sector’s most controversial waste practices: the destruction of unsold clothing, footwear and accessories. These rules, part of the bloc’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), aim to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote a genuinely circular economy across member states.
The measures were formally approved by the European Commission on 9 February 2026 and will enter into force in phases, beginning in mid-2026. Under the new framework, large companies will be prohibited from destroying unsold garments and related products starting 19 July 2026, while medium-sized firms are expected to comply by 2030.
According to official estimates, between 4 % and 9 % of unsold textiles are currently destroyed before they are ever worn, a practice that generates roughly 5.6 million tonnes of CO₂ annually — nearly equivalent to Sweden’s entire net emissions in 2021.
The ESPR goes beyond a simple prohibition. It also mandates new transparency obligations for companies doing business in the EU: from February 2027, firms must disclose detailed data on the volumes of unsold products they discard, using a standardised format. These disclosures are designed to shift corporate behaviour by making waste generation measurable and publicly accountable.
Recognising that there are legitimate circumstances in which products cannot be reused or repurposed, the legislation includes derogations for safety-related issues, irreversible product damage, and other narrowly defined conditions. National authorities will oversee compliance and enforcement, with the ESPR requiring member states to set proportionate penalties for non-compliance.
The legislative move is part of a broader EU strategy to embed durability, repairability and resource efficiency into product design and lifecycle management. The ESPR itself, which took effect in July 2024, is one of the pillars of the EU’s circular economy agenda — alongside separate waste-management targets and textile-sector strategies adopted in recent years.
Industry groups have acknowledged the scale of changes required, as brands and retailers adapt inventory management, return logistics and resale channels. Critics note that enforcement and loopholes, particularly around exports and third-party processing, will ultimately determine the effectiveness of the ban. Nonetheless, the EU’s decision marks a clear regulatory departure from previous reliance on voluntary sustainability commitments.
Image Credit sustainability-directory.com
