Because it contradicts the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal, the deliberate destruction and disposal of unsold or returned goods by European producers and online retailers should be banned, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and Ökopol said in a note published on Monday 25 October.
In view of the Sustainable Products Initiative that will revise the EU Ecodesign Directive (2009/125), these NGOs recommend that the EU extends the legislative measures taken by Belgium, France, and Germany to entire single market, strengthening them to ensure their effectiveness.
For example, they call for an EU-wide ban on the destruction of unsold goods, as well as incentives to keep products on the market or to promote donation rather than destruction.
“We cannot afford to send perfectly viable products to the bin while precious resources are depleted to make new ones”, comments Stéphane Arditi of the EEB.
The value of electronics and clothing destroyed in the EU is projected to be €21.74 billion by 2022, more than the GDP of Cyprus in 2020. If no action is taken, this amount could reach €71.29 billion in 2030, which is as much as the revenue generated by the German e-commerce market in 2019, the NGOs point out. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)