From 1 January 2022 in France the destruction of new unsold clothing is prohibited by the anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec for short). This practice, once common in the fashion industry, of optimizing one’s stocks without having to oversell them at the risk of devaluing the image of one’s brand, would therefore be on the verge of becoming obsolete. In fact, the European Union has just followed in France’s footsteps.
The European Union legislates to ban the destruction of new, unsold clothing
On 5 December 2023, the European Parliament and the member states of the European Union agreed to ban the destruction of new and unsold clothing for large companies within two years. Medium-sized companies still have 6 years, while small ones are spared, he reports Publication With the’AFP.
“After almost six hours of negotiation we reached an important agreement on the #ecodesign regulation for which I am rapporteur in the European Parliament. It wasn’t easy, but the final text represents an important step towards the circular economy, environmental sustainability and the protection of our internal market. This regulation constitutes one of the two parts of the new European green deal and will change the way of producing but also the way of purchasing the products that will be placed on the market. »
— MEP Alessandra Moretti, on Instagram.
A big step forward for eco-design in the EU, provided we provide the means to achieve these ambitions
This legislation also aims to encourage the creation of more eco-designed parts, therefore less resource-intensive, and more repairable and recyclable. Large companies will have to disclose the number of new items destroyed each year and justify it. Each part should be accompanied by a digital passport in the form of a QR code which should allow the general public to easily inform themselves about these good or bad business practices, the traceability of materials, their recyclability, etc.
This could therefore be a big step for eco-design within the European Union, if and only if brands can play along and provide the means for such ambitions…
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
