In accordance with changed consumer habits and the growth of green marketing, the large global chain of clothing stores H&M has been trying for years to present its business as sustainable, focusing on recycling.
However, "Operation X" revealed that this is not quite the case. By inspecting the documents, Danish journalists discovered a few years ago that this fashion company sent an average of 12 tons of products per year to the Kara/Noveren incinerator in the city of Roskilde, not far from Copenhagen, from 2013 to 2018, the portal writes. klima101.rs.
The authors of this analysis also had the opportunity to look at what was in the boxes that H&M sent to be burned: there were, among other things, brand new children's jeans and dark blue pants for women - with all the tags.
Today, this practice is no longer allowed in the European Union (EU).
Photo: StockSnap/PixabayThe global chain of clothing stores H&M has been trying to present its business as sustainable for years, focusing on recycling. Except it's not quite like that
No more waste.
Under the new regulation, which came into force on July 19, large companies in the EU are prohibited from destroying unsold clothes, shoes and fashion accessories.
This measure was introduced as part of the Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products with the aim of preventing the waste and discarding of both the textile itself and the precious resources consumed in its production.
Photo: Glorige Simon/PixabayAccording to the estimate of the European Environmental Agency, 4 to 9 percent of all textiles on the market of member countries are destroyed before use
Mass destruction of clothes and shoes
Every year, between 264.000 and 594.000 tons of clothes and shoes are destroyed in the EU without being worn by anyone. These are mostly old collections, goods ordered online that have been returned, as well as damaged goods.
According to the estimate of the European Environmental Agency, 4 to 9 percent of all textiles on the market of member countries are destroyed before use, emitting 5,6 million tons of carbon dioxide.
In France alone, 630 million euros worth of products are destroyed annually, while in Germany online shopping adds fuel to the fire: almost 20 million returned items are thrown away every year.
For now, only the "big players" are affected
The new regulation will help reduce these balances. Instead of unsold clothes ending up in incinerators or landfills, companies in the EU are now legally obliged to find alternative ways to get rid of their stock, e.g. through deep discounts, using alternative markets like outlet stores or donating to charities.
Currently, the ban applies only to large players, i.e. to companies with over 250 employees and a net annual turnover of over 50 million euros.
These fashion brands are well known to many. For example, there is the aforementioned H&M, then brands within the Spanish group Inditex such as Zara, Massimo Dutti and Stradivarius, but also sports equipment manufacturers such as Adidas and Puma.
Photo: Mohamed Marzouk Mohamed Ansari/PixabayIn Germany, online shopping adds fuel to the fire: almost 20 million returned items are thrown away every year.
While fast fashion destroys goods because it doesn't pay to store them, luxury brands traditionally do it for a completely different reason - to preserve exclusivity and price. And these fashion houses need to obey the rules, including Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Loro Piano, Prada and Barberi, which destroyed about 30 million euros worth of goods in 2017 alone.
What are the exceptions to the destruction of garments?
In certain situations, companies are still allowed to destroy unsold clothing and shoes, e.g. in case of unsafe or excessively damaged products, counterfeits or infringement of intellectual property. Another exception is when they are turned down by charities or donation programs.
However, to prevent abuse, businesses relying on these precedents will have to provide evidence and publish annual reports on what they have thrown away. Compliance with the regulation will be checked by the national authorities of the member countries, who can impose fines for misdemeanors.
Photo: Erika Beautydea/PixabayIn France alone, 630 million euros worth of products are destroyed annually
Starting in 2030, the same regulations will apply to medium-sized companies, with between 50 and 249 employees and up to 50 million euros in net annual turnover.
The ban on the destruction of unsold textiles is one of the first concrete measures under the Ecodesign Regulation for sustainable products. The goal of this regulation is to make goods on the EU market more durable, intended for reuse and subject to recycling, while at the same time strengthening efficiency and the circular economy.
As the first group of products subject to the ban, textiles were chosen because of the negative impact caused by the current business model, which relies on burning and throwing away unsold clothes and shoes. Despite being expensive and wasteful, the fashion industry has been using these practices for decades, with far-reaching consequences for the environment and climate.
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