Starting this July, big fashion brands will no longer be able to destroy their unsold items in the EU.
On Monday, the European Commission adopted new measures that will ban medium and large companies in the EU from destroying unsold clothing, footwear and related accessories, a practice long criticised for driving waste and emissions. The new rules are being implemented under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the bloc’s framework for setting sustainability and durability requirements for products placed on the EU market.
Large companies will be banned from incinerating or discarding unsold apparel, footwear and accessories beginning July 19, 2026, with the rules expected to extend to medium-sized firms in 2030. Some exceptions where destruction may still be allowed due to safety concerns or damaged products will be possible with oversight by national authorities.
Companies will also be obliged to disclose data on unsold stock they discard, with standardised reporting requirements starting in February 2027 for large firms and expanding to medium-sized companies by 2030.
The European Commission did not say what penalties will be for companies found violating the ban.
According to EU data, an estimated 4 percent to 9 percent of unsold textiles in Europe are destroyed before being worn, generating roughly 5.6 million tons of carbon emissions. The Commission says the new move will “help cut waste, reduce environmental damage and create a level playing field” for companies seeking to implement more circular business models.
Instead of destroying unsold stock, companies should look to manage it more effectively by optimising return operations and prioritising alternatives such as resale, remanufacturing, donations or reuse, according to the Commission.
Some critics say the new rules still fail to address the root cause of textile waste – overproduction.
”Unsold stock is not an accident. It is a business model,” wrote Muchaneta ten Napel, CEO of fashion policy research consultancy Shape Innovate and a lecturer at the London College of Fashion, in a LinkedIn post. “When the EU says that 4–9% of textiles are destroyed before ever being worn, I don’t hear “waste problem”. I hear “overproduction problem wearing a sustainability costume.”
The ban comes on top of the European Parliament’s finalisation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes last September, which will be nationally administered by member states, and will require fashion brands to cover the full cost of their waste in the bloc.
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