Ban on destruction of unsold textiles and footwear and digital passport. European Parliament gives final green light

Brussels–New rules on the ecodesign of products are now ready to become binding legislation in all EU member states. With 455 votes in favor, 99 against, and 54 abstentions, the plenary session of the European Parliament gave the final green light today (April 23) to the Regulation on Ecodesign of Sustainable Products, based on the understanding the rapporteur for the European Parliament Alessandra Moretti (PD) snf co-legislators of the EU Council reached in December last year. “The time has come to free ourselves from the outdated take-produce-destroy model, which is creating many problems for our planet, our health, and our economy,” the MEP said at the voting session in Strasbourg: “Let’s pave the way for a new era, where every product is made in a more sustainable way and where consumers can save energy, repair, and make smart environmental choices.”

There were already signs of vast support for the compromise agreement on the new Regulation (proposed by the EU Commission in March 2022), with the first confirmation vote in early January in the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The cornerstone of the new rules is the ban on destruction of unsold clothes, minimum requirements for ecodesign of products on the European market, and a digital passport for product information. Technically, this is an amendment to the current ecodesign directive (dating back to 2009), expanding its scope that currently only covers energy products. It also establishes new design requirements to limit the environmental impact and increase reliability, reuse, repair, and recycling.

The new Regulation will apply to several categories of products — dishwashers, televisions, windows, car chargers — and the Commission will have the power to extend the ban through delegated acts. Brussels will prioritize high-impact categories, including those involving textiles (especially clothing and footwear), furniture (including mattresses), iron, steel, aluminum, tires, paints, lubricants, and chemical, electrical, and electronic products. The Regulation will introduce for the first time a ‘digital passport’ for products,  aiming to provide information on the environmental sustainability of those placed on the Single Market: on a practical level, this will be an easy-access label, which will allow people to consult information on the sustainability of the item purchased. “It will allow consumers to choose sides. I hope always on the side of environmental protection,” Moretti said.

There is also a ban on destroying unsold textiles and footwear, and the Commission may extend the list of banned product categories in the future. As the GOP-affiliated MEP explained, “We want to contribute to a change in the world of fast fashion production, with greater social and environmental sustainability.” The rules are expected to be applied two years after the law comes into force (once it gets the green light from the EU Council and it is published in the Official Gazette): only small and micro enterprises will be exempt, while medium-sized companies will be affected after six years. Economic operators who destroy unsold goods – except precisely for clothing, clothing accessories, and footwear for which the destruction ban applies – will be required to report annually the quantities of discarded products and why. In case of violation, it will be up to the Member States to determine the sanctions (harmonized among the 27 Member States) to impose.