Europe just made it illegal to destroy unsold clothes.
Starting today (July 19, 2026), big companies operating in the EU can no longer destroy unsold clothing, footwear, or accessories under new rules in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. It is a bigger shift than it sounds. Every year, an estimated 4 to 9 percent of unsold textiles in Europe are destroyed before they are ever worn, generating roughly 5.6 million tons of CO2, close to Sweden's entire annual emissions. Destruction now includes incineration and even certain forms of disposal, not just landfilling, and companies must instead prioritize resale, donation, repair, or recycling. Medium-sized companies have until 2030 to comply, and a standardized disclosure format for discarded goods becomes mandatory in 2027. This is exactly the kind of regulation that turns circularity from a marketing claim into an operational requirement. Retailers now need real answers for every unsold item, not a write-off. That pressure will likely accelerate demand for resale platforms, recycling infrastructure, and better inventory forecasting across the industry.
Source: circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/...
