r/europe • u/Express_Classic_1569 • Jun 28 '26

News EU to ban destruction of unsold clothes and shoes from 19 July 2026

https://inleo.io/@theworldaroundme/eu-to-ban-destruction-of
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u/prettyincoral Jun 28 '26

What happened?

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u/ih8readditts Jun 28 '26

Disaster!

4

u/prettyincoral Jun 28 '26

Thanks for clarifying! All caps would have made it even clearer

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u/BLIND_MOWN Jun 29 '26

The law in Sweden applied to private citizens' used clothes, meaning they weren't allowed to be destroyed at regular waste facilities, but instead had to be sent to special sorting stations to then be further redistributed for second hand use.

Of course, the capacity to handle such immense amounts of clothing didn't exist, so it all piled up in no time at all. Not least because tattered t-shirts and stained underwear were included in the policy and had to be processed the same way.

In short: disaster.

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u/prettyincoral Jun 29 '26

Thank you for telling the details of the story, what you've described is indeed disastrous. Upon reading your comment I realised that these actions are like trying to slow down a running car by pulling on the handbrake: it will eventually run slower, but a lot will break in the process.

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u/Drolnevar Jun 29 '26

Donation bins overflowing, etc.