Ban on destruction of unsold clothes and shoes enters into application Under the new rules, businesses must prioritise keeping products in use by selling them or preparing them for reuse.

The EU has banned large companies from destroying unsold clothes, accessories, and footwear, effective July 19; medium-sized companies must comply by 2030 (small/micro businesses are exempt). Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, companies must prioritize reselling, donating, or repairing unsold items before considering destruction, and recycling takes priority when destruction does occur.

Destruction is only allowed for unsafe, damaged, counterfeit, or donation-rejected items — and companies must document and report these cases. National authorities will enforce the rules, with records kept for five years.

The measure targets textiles first because an estimated 4-9% of textiles sold in Europe (264,000–594,000 tonnes yearly) are currently destroyed before use, wasting resources and generating needless emissions.