Balgarianovinite.com The EU ban on destroying unsold clothing will promote reuse and sustainable production, BACT Executive Director Sirma Zheleva and Eleonora Yosifova of the For the Earth Zero Waste team told BTA on Monday. They said the aim should be to curb textile overproduction and reduce its environmental harm.
The ban entered into force on July 19, 2026. It currently applies to large enterprises and is part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
“We expect the ban to push manufacturers to improve production and distribution planning,” Zheleva said. “Reuse is now the only permitted option for handling unsold items,” she added. “Unrestricted destruction, a practice used by some companies, is no longer allowed,” Zheleva said.
“The ban alone will not be enough to significantly cut textile waste. It must be part of a broader policy to curb overproduction, set binding targets for textile waste prevention and promote durability, repair and reuse,” Yosifova said. She noted that For the Earth is part of Zero Waste Europe, which is working to reduce textile waste by one third by 2040 compared with 2020 levels.
Zheleva and Yosifova also discussed recycling.
“Recycling must not become an easy alternative to destruction,” Yosifova said. “In the waste hierarchy, prevention, extending product life, repair and reuse come before recycling,” she added.
“Recycling is also treated as destruction under the ESPR. It is allowed only if the need for destruction is proven and takes precedence over other recovery or disposal methods,” Zheleva said.
How the Ban Came About
“The ban was introduced because of a business model built on routinely producing more clothes than the market can absorb,” Yosifova said. She cited Zero Waste Europe data putting average overproduction in the sector at about 20%.
Yosifova said low production costs, fast-changing collections and free returns for online purchases further fuel excessive production and over-ordering. Some unsold or returned goods are later destroyed, she added. The practice not only generates waste but also wastes raw materials, energy, water and labour. “When a new garment is destroyed, all the resources used to make, dye, transport and package it are lost,” Yosifova said.
At this stage, the ban applies to the destruction of unsold items by large companies. It will apply to medium-sized enterprises in 2030. “The ban also covers goods returned after a purchase is cancelled or a right of return is exercised,” Zheleva said. “Companies will have to find ways to manage unsold items, focusing mainly on alternative markets where they can be distributed for reuse,” she added. “Destruction is allowed only in specific cases, which must be substantiated and documented,” Zheleva said.
Bulgaria Seeks a Sustainable Path for Textile Use
“A major problem is the lack of sufficiently detailed, publicly available data on the quantities of textiles placed on the market in Bulgaria, collected separately, prepared for reuse, exported, recycled or left in mixed municipal waste,” Yosifova said.
“Without reliable data, it is difficult to plan a national system and measure whether it is actually reducing waste,” she added.
Yosifova said a textile waste management system is needed that prioritizes prevention, reuse and repair over recycling.
More than 8,000 tonnes of textile waste, including industrial waste, were collected separately in Bulgaria in 2024, according to BACT data released in late 2025. “At least 70% of textiles collected through separate collection containers are usually prepared for reuse or recycled, while reuse remains the priority with the greatest environmental value,” Zheleva told BTA in an interview in December 2025. EU Ban on Destroying Unsold Clothes Promotes Reuse and More Sustainable Production 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-27 05:52:33 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law