Study 151: The Destruction Ban: Luxury Can No Longer Burn Unsold Goods

This study examines the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781, whose ban on the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories, and footwear took effect for large companies on 19 July 2026. Under the regulation, destruction includes disposal, energy recovery, and recycling; exceptions are narrow and must be documented for five years; and a public disclosure regime, in force for large companies since 2025, obliges houses to publish annually how many unsold products they discard and why. Reading the canonical precedents, Burberry’s 28.6 million pounds of d