The European Commission has introduced new rules banning the destruction of unsold clothes and footwear, marking a significant step in the European Union’s drive to reduce overproduction and accelerate the shift toward a circular economy.

The measure forms part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which entered into force in July 2024. The regulation is designed to improve product durability, reparability, reusability and overall resource efficiency across nearly all physical goods placed on the EU market, excluding food, feed and medicinal products.

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Circular Economy Rules

Under the new framework, companies will be prohibited from destroying unsold textiles and shoes, except in specific cases such as safety risks or severe product damage. The rules also introduce a standardized disclosure format requiring businesses to report the volumes of unsold consumer goods they discard, increasing transparency and accountability.

According to EU data, between 4% and 9% of unsold textiles in Europe are destroyed each year before ever being worn. This practice generates an estimated 5.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, roughly equivalent to Sweden’s net emissions in 2021.

Globally, textile waste presents an even greater challenge. Around 92 million tonnes of textiles end up in landfills every year. At the current pace, fast fashion waste could rise to 134 million tonnes annually by the end of the decade.

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Rethinking Production and Returns

The Commission framed the new measures as an opportunity for companies to rethink supply chain management. Instead of discarding excess stock, businesses are encouraged to improve demand forecasting, handle returns more efficiently, and explore alternatives such as resale, remanufacturing, donations or reuse.

Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, emphasized that while the textile sector is advancing sustainability efforts, waste figures demonstrate the urgency of further action. She noted that empowering the sector to adopt circular practices could strengthen competitiveness while reducing environmental dependencies.

With the textile industry under mounting scrutiny for its environmental footprint, the EU’s ban signals a structural shift from linear production models toward more accountable and resource-efficient systems.

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