The EU has decided that unsold clothing will no longer be thrown away

Starting today, European Union regulations have taken effect that will prevent unsold clothing and footwear from being discarded. Large companies within the EU can no longer destroy unsold garments and shoes. Instead, they must resell or donate such items. The new regulation requires businesses to handle unsold textile products through alternative means rather than disposal. Previously, destruction was considered more cost-effective than storage, resale, or recycling. According to data from the European Commission, between four and nine percent of unsold textiles in Europe are destroyed annually, with some of these items never worn, generating around 5.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. The regulation excludes companies only in cases where the goods are hazardous, damaged, contaminated, or cannot be reused or repaired. Additionally, items offered as donations but not accepted within a specified period can still be destroyed. According to dpa, the German Federation of Retailers (HDE) indicated that this new regulation could benefit consumers, as it might lead to cheaper goods appearing on the market through other sales channels and platforms that sell second-hand items, reports tportal. In addition to providing consumers access to cheaper clothing, the regulation could also be beneficial for the environment, as less clothing would be destroyed and more would be resold or donated. However, challenges remain for companies. They warn that not all unsold goods can be sold or donated because there may be no demand for certain items or their value is too low to justify further price reductions. Consumer organizations support the regulation, but also highlight potential issues. On the other hand, according to dpa, the German Association of Fashion Industry welcomes the new regulation, considering clothing a valuable product whose destruction should be avoided. They emphasize that most European clothing production companies will not feel the impact of this regulation, as they rarely destroyed their unsold stock even before. However, the challenge lies in the large quantities of inexpensive clothing items ordered directly by consumers from suppliers outside Europe, such as China. Therefore, they call for these non-European manufacturers to contribute similarly to European producers and participate in the costs of collecting, sorting, and recycling used textiles. They caution that an effective structure for collecting, sorting, and recycling is needed, otherwise the ban on destruction remains just on paper and does not contribute to real circular economy practices. Similarly, environmental protection organizations issue warnings. Companies can easily bypass the rules, for example, by incorrectly declaring products. Without consistent enforcement, nothing will change in practice, warns Greenpeace. From WWF, it is emphasized that the law will be good only if it is consistently implemented.