The European Commission announced the adoption of new measures under its Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), including the introduction of a ban on the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing, accessories and footwear.
The new measures follow the adoption of the EU’s ESPR regulation in 2024, empowering the Commission to adopt ecodesign requirements for products to improve their environmental sustainability. Requirements may cover a broad range of sustainability aspects including product durability, reusability, reparability, the use of substances that inhibit circularity, energy and resource efficiency, recycled content, remanufacturing and recycling, and products’ carbon and environmental footprints.
In 2025, the Commission provided a list of products that should be prioritized for new ecodesign requirements and energy labelling over the next five years, including steel and aluminum, textiles (with a focus on apparel), furniture, tires and mattresses. The Commission said that the categories were chosen based on their potential to deliver on the circular economy.
According to the Commission, the new rules come as an estimated 4-9% of unsold textiles are destroyed before ever being worn in Europe, with the situation exacerbated by online shopping practices. The Commission added that the destruction of unsold textiles generates around 5.6 million tons of CO2 emissions each year, with the new rules aimed to “help cut waste, reduce environmental damage and create a level playing field for companies embracing sustainable business models.”
The new ESPR rules will introduce a ban on destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear beginning in July 2026 for large companies, with medium companies expected to follow in 2030.
The new measures also include requirements for companies to disclose information on the unsold consumer products they discard as waste, and introduce a standardized reporting format, which will apply from February 2027.
The Commission added that it encourages companies to manage stocks more effectively, handle returns, and explore alternatives such as resale, remanufacturing, donations, or reuse. The measures also include specific circumstances in which destruction of products will be permitted, such as safety reasons and product damage.
Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, said:
“The textile sector is leading the way in the transition to sustainability, but there are still challenges. The numbers on waste show the need to act. With these new measures, the textile sector will be empowered to move towards sustainable and circular practices, and we can boost our competitiveness and reduce our dependencies.”
