ESPR
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 — Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
Topic : Circularity & waste · Level : Regional
Today
Ban on destroying unsold apparel and footwear applies to large firms since 19 Jul 2026. First product act (steel) due Q4 2026.
Summary
ESPR sets ecodesign rules product by product through delegated acts and creates the Digital Product Passport. A ban on destroying unsold apparel and footwear applies to large firms since July 2026.
Who is concerned
- Turnover
- non précisé
- Employees
- Destruction ban: large now, medium 2030
- Listed company
- non précisé
- Sectors
- Textiles and footwear
- Iron, steel, aluminium
- Furniture, tyres, mattresses
- Electronics (ICT)
- Triggering activities
- Placing a regulated product on EU market
- Discarding unsold consumer products
- Importing or distributing in the EU
- Extraterritorial reach
- Yes
Product rules apply to all goods sold in the EU, wherever made; manufacturers abroad must meet design and data rules.
- Examples
- Fashion brand with Chinese garment suppliers
- EU importer of steel products
- Online retailer of furniture from Asia
What the law requires
- Meet product-specific ecodesign rules once each delegated act applies
- Provide a Digital Product Passport where the act requires it
- Disclose discarded unsold products annually (large and medium firms)
- Stop destroying unsold apparel and footwear except listed derogations
Penalties
Set by Member States; must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
What this changes for a supplier in China
Chinese makers of textiles, steel, furniture and electronics will need to supply material composition, recycled content and footprint data for EU product passports.
Expected evidence
- Bill of materials and fibre/material composition
- Recycled content declaration
- Product carbon or environmental footprint
Tiers : Tier 1-2