EU Bans Destruction of Unsold Clothing and Footwear

Large companies in the European Union are now prohibited from destroying unsold clothing and footwear, as new rules take effect. This regulation mandates that businesses must find ways to resell or donate these items rather than discarding them.

Exceptions to the ban apply to goods that are hazardous, damaged, or contaminated, rendering them unusable or unrepairable. Items offered for donation to EU-based social organizations that are not accepted within a specified timeframe may also be destroyed.

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Not all unsold goods can be easily resold or donated.

The German Retail Association (HDE) suggests the ban could benefit consumers through increased availability of discounted goods via outlets and second-hand channels. HDE Managing Director Stefan Gent also anticipates environmental advantages from reduced destruction and increased resale or donation. However, he cautioned that retailers will face significant challenges. "Not all unsold goods can be easily resold or donated," Gent stated, citing issues such as damaged packaging, high logistics costs, lack of demand, or low product value.

Retailers may incur additional expenses for storage, sorting, refurbishment, and remarketing. They also face documentation requirements, legal uncertainties, and practical difficulties related to donations and the sale of used goods. The German Association of Fashion Manufacturers welcomed the regulation, calling clothing a valuable product whose destruction should be avoided. Association director Thomas Lange emphasized that the ban sends an important signal for more responsible resource use.

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Clothing is a valuable product whose destruction should be avoided.

However, Lange noted the regulation would have minimal impact on most European companies, as they typically do not destroy unsold goods. The real challenge, he argued, lies with the vast quantities of ultra-fast fashion ordered by consumers directly from suppliers outside Europe. He called for these companies to contribute equally to the costs of collecting, sorting, and recycling used textiles. The Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry criticized the law as unrealistic and bureaucratic, arguing it fails to address fast fashion issues. Industry expert Jonas Stracke stated that more efficient collection, sorting, and recycling structures are needed for greater sustainability, otherwise the ban would remain a "paper tiger" with no real contribution to the circular economy.

Environmental organizations share similar concerns. Moritz Jäger-Roško of Greenpeace described the ban as good in principle but containing loopholes. "Companies can easily circumvent the rules, for example by misdeclaring products. Without consistent enforcement, nothing will change in practice," he warned.

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Companies can easily circumvent the rules, for example by misdeclaring products. Without consistent enforcement, nothing will change in practice.