From July 19, large EU companies cannot destroy unsold clothes, clothing accessories and footwear under ESPR rules.
Medium-sized firms will face the same obligations from 2030, while small and micro-businesses are exempt.
Brands, retailers and suppliers must prioritise resale, donation, repair or reuse, with records kept for five years for inspections.
According to the European Environment Agency, an estimated 4-9 per cent of all textile products placed on the market in Europe are destroyed before use, equal to between 264,000 and 594,000 tonnes of textiles each year.
Businesses covered by the rules must prioritise keeping products in use by selling them, including through discounts or alternative markets, donating them to charities or social enterprises, or preparing them for reuse through repair, refurbishment or remanufacturing, the European Commission said.
Destruction will be allowed only in specified circumstances and must follow the waste treatment hierarchy, with priority given to recycling. Companies may destroy unsold clothes and shoes only in limited cases, including when items are unsafe or damaged, counterfeit or infringe intellectual property rights, or are rejected by charities or donation schemes.
Companies using exemptions must provide proof, such as documents or test results, and publish annual reports on discarded products. National authorities will check compliance and may impose fines for violations, while companies must keep records for five years to allow inspections.
The ESPR, which came into force in 2024, sets EU-wide rules to make products more durable, repairable, recyclable and resource-efficient. The ban on destroying unsold textiles is one of the first concrete measures under the regulation.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk
