EU to ban destruction of unsold textile products

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU member states on Monday agreed on draft legislation banning the destruction of unsold or retained textile products.

The Council of the EU announced in a statement that member states had adopted their negotiating position “on the proposed regulation establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products.”

The law updates a 2009 regulation that sets conditions for producing and marketing environmentally sustainable items in the EU.

The new rules will expand the scope of the legislation to nearly all products sold in the EU, with the exception of motor vehicles that are covered by another act.

The products must be “both energy- and resource-efficient” and “more durable, reliable, reusable, upgradable, reparable, recyclable and easier to maintain,” the statement explained.

Producers will have to prove the sustainability of their goods with the newly established Digital Product Passport.

The legislation will introduce “a direct ban on the destruction of textiles, footwear and apparel.”

The law would be immediately applicable to big enterprises while it grants a 4-year transition period for medium-sized companies and exempts small businesses.

With the updated legislation, the EU tries to mitigate the environmental impact of clothes that are produced and transported but never used, partially due to growing online sales.

Over 5.8 million tons of textile products, amounting to 11 kg (24 pounds) per person, are destroyed annually in the EU.

Once the European Parliament adopts its negotiating position, the EU institutions can start the negotiations on the reform.