EU ban on destroying unsold clothes and footwear now applies

Not every ESPR milestone is a Digital Product Passport milestone, but this one matters to the same companies. From 19 July 2026, the EU prohibition on destroying unsold clothes, clothing accessories and footwear enters into application for large companies, under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781).

Per the Commission's announcement, the measure aims to prevent the waste of valuable products and the resources used to make them. Medium-sized companies must comply from 2030; small and micro companies are exempt from the related reporting.

How it relates to the DPP

It is a separate obligation. The destruction ban is an ecodesign measure and does not itself require a passport. The textiles Digital Product Passport is a distinct track that will arrive through the ESPR textiles delegated act, still in preparation. We flag the ban here because it lands under the same regulation, on the same day the central DPP registry reached its deadline, and it hits the same audience.

Why it reaches importers

The ban applies to companies that place these products on the EU market. For a fashion or footwear brand based outside the EU, selling into the Union through an importer, the obligation follows the product, not the head office. If you sell clothing or footwear into the EU at scale, unsold-stock destruction is now off the table.

What to do now

• If you are a large seller of clothing or footwear in the EU, review your returns, overstock and end-of-line disposal practices against the ban.
• Track the separate textiles DPP timeline on the textiles sector page and the delegated-acts tracker.

Primary source: European Commission, ban on destruction of unsold clothes and shoes enters into application.