The End of Unsold-Textile Destruction: The EU Sets the Timeline

On 9 February 2026, the European Commission took a major regulatory step for the textile sector: the adoption of a Delegated Act and an Implementing Act detailing how the ban on destroying unsold non-food products applies in practice, under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

9/15/20262 min read

People sorting piles of colorful textile scraps in a large industrial warehouse

The End of Unsold-Textile Destruction: The EU Sets the Timeline

A Number That Justifies the Regulatory Urgency

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. The European Commission also notes that in France alone, around €630 million worth of unsold products are destroyed each year, while in Germany nearly 20 million returned items are discarded annually, a trend structurally worsened by the growth of e-commerce and its returns volumes.

What the New Framework Actually Changes

The ESPR already imposes two obligations on companies: disclosing information on the unsold consumer products they discard, and a ban on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear. The two acts adopted on 9 February clarify how these obligations apply in practice:

The Delegated Act clarifies the specific circumstances under which destruction remains permitted, for instance, safety reasons or product damage, with compliance overseen by national authorities.
The Implementing Act introduces a standardised format for businesses to disclose the volumes of unsold goods they discard, applicable from February 2027, giving companies time to adapt.

Rather than discarding stock, companies are now encouraged to manage inventory and returns more effectively, and to explore alternatives such as resale, remanufacturing, donation or reuse.

A Timeline Staggered by Company Size

The ban on destruction and its derogations will apply to large companies from 19 July 2026. Medium-sized companies are expected to follow in 2030. Disclosure rules already apply to large companies and will extend to medium-sized companies in 2030 as well.

According to Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, these measures are meant to help the textile sector move towards sustainable and circular practices. The stated ambition also has an industrial-sovereignty dimension: reducing dependencies while strengthening European competitiveness.

The ITBA-AIBT Analysis

This new framework confirms a dynamic the Alliance has observed among its members for several months: textile circularity is no longer a marketing option, it is becoming a traceability and reporting obligation, with firm deadlines attached. Companies that plan ahead, by building resale, remanufacturing or donation channels, and structuring their extra-financial reporting, will approach the July 2026 deadline from a position of strength rather than regulatory catch-up.

This also reinforces the relevance of a certification approach like FiberForever™: having an already-structured evidence framework (flow traceability, unsold-goods management, circularity indicators) allows certified companies to respond more quickly to new disclosure requirements, rather than discovering these obligations only once they take effect.

For SMEs in the sector, many of which fall within scope only from 2030, the extended timeline is not a grace period to let slide: resale, donation and remanufacturing channels take years to build, not months.