New EU Rules To Stop the Destruction of Unsold Clothes and Shoes
8 96The European Commission has adopted new measures under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) to prevent the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing, accessories and footwear. From a report: The rules will help cut waste, reduce environmental damage and create a level playing field for companies embracing sustainable business models, allowing them to reap the benefits of a more circular economy. Every year in Europe, an estimated 4-9% of unsold textiles are destroyed before ever being worn. This waste generates around 5.6 million tons of CO2 emissions -- almost equal to Sweden's total net emissions in 2021. To help reduce this wasteful practice, the ESPR requires companies to disclose information on the unsold consumer products they discard as waste. It also introduces a ban on the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear.
8 comments
Re:What do they want them to do instead? (Score: 5, Informative)
by gurps_npc ( 621217 ) on Monday February 16, 2026 @11:16AM (#65992138)
A lot of luxury brands destroy perfectly good clothing that has minor defects.
They get their logo wrong? Destroyed. Color off? Destroyed.
They care more about their image than the waste.
Re:What do they want them to do instead? (Score: 5, Informative)
by higuita ( 129722 ) on Monday February 16, 2026 @11:27AM (#65992168)
this isn't even that, it is really unsold, QA approved clothes (not saying good quality because that will widely depend of each brand)
say a XXL dress wasn't sold, they will not keep it in stock for ever, it waste space, require accounting and DB sku, all that have a cost that may be in the end higher than the product itself... So right now they destroy it to clean up.
What they must do now is either drop the price a lot, pass it to another company (that will again sell if a much lower price, even if it may require removing the brand) or donate it
Re:What do they want them to do instead? (Score: 5, Interesting)
by magusxxx ( 751600 ) on <magusxxx_2000@ya ... com minus distro> on Monday February 16, 2026 @05:58PM (#65993124)
There's a guy on YouTube who told us about the visit he got from a Louis Vuitton rep. He's a leather smith who takes old handbags and makes them into wallets.
LV sent someone in person to try and make him cease and desist. He didn't.
The whole story is pretty interesting and to the point. High couture doesn't even want their scraps in the hands of peasants.
Re:What do they want them to do instead? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Monday February 16, 2026 @01:20PM (#65992528)
A lot of luxury brands destroy perfectly good clothing that has minor defects.
They get their logo wrong? Destroyed. Color off? Destroyed.
They care more about their image than the waste.
It's not even that. A lot of clothing is destroyed simply because it didn't sell. Season's over, throw it in the discount outlet store, doesn't sell within 3 months? Destroyed.
Re:What do they want them to do instead? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by dskoll ( 99328 ) on Monday February 16, 2026 @11:17AM (#65992142)
Yes, give it away; there are plenty of needy people in the world. Or else stop over-producing clothing and footwear in the first place.
Re:What do they want them to do instead? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by Bert64 ( 520050 ) on <bert&slashdot,firenzee,com> on Monday February 16, 2026 @11:46AM (#65992204)
In some cases they could also remove the branding, and sell it as cheap unbranded goods somewhere.
Re:Why is this on Slashdot? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by gurps_npc ( 621217 ) on Monday February 16, 2026 @11:47AM (#65992210)
Textiles are technology. It is one of the most impactful and advanced technology we have. You think of it is as industry in large part because of how long we have been doing it. Also, most of the textile engineers are female, and I am betting you are not.
Carbon Fabric is the exact same thing as dense carbon fiber, just without a ton of resin to make it hard. Kevlar, Tencel, Phase Change Materials, Wearables, are all advanced technology. Not to mention new printing processes and treatments for fabrics.
As to why this particular story is on slashdot, it highlights legal actions against manufacturers because the manufactures are evil. This industry in particular is known for their outright evil - from both excessive margins and abusive employee/manufactuing conditions.
Re:private property rights? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by noshellswill ( 598066 ) on Monday February 16, 2026 @12:02PM (#65992248)
You make the standard Randist blunder worshiping tragedy-of-the-Commons". Your agency over your property ends at my property line. You may not pollute the air over my property ( by say... burning shoes or clothes ) beyond "acts of god"; you are infringing on my property rights . Yep --- you may not "mine" on your own property if mine tailings/run-off crosses my property line. Tuff tit to those sociopaths who would privatize profits while socializing costs.