One more step in the fight against unnecessary waste. From 1is January, unsold items can no longer be destroyed for a series of products: electrical and electronic equipment, textiles, furniture or even hygiene and beauty products. While most of the unsold items are already destocked, recycled or donated, the Ecological Transition Agency estimated that around 7% were destroyed in 2019 in the 12 main non-food sectors. Or the equivalent of 300 million euros in market value.
The date of 1is January is just the first step. The sectors affected by the ban are those which already had a well-established collection and recycling mechanism before the promulgation of the anti-waste law of 2020. Namely an EPR sector (for Extended Producer Responsibility), which involves including a waste management system.
What will become of the unsold products – so far destroyed – which will now have to be valued? General Delegate of the Alliance du commerce, which brings together clothing stores, Yohann Petiot rules out any particular difficulty of implementation: “Inventories are already largely oriented in destocking networks in France and abroad, or towards donation, he says. Some of it is also recycled. “
With a longer shelf life, the question arises in slightly different terms for hygiene and beauty products. If clothing directs a large part of its unsold products to destocking, the cosmetics sector has mainly sold them through donations.
→ ANALYSIS. Unsold non-food items: donations to associations are increasing
The movement should strengthen at the start of the year, especially as the ban on destruction will be imposed for a series of basic necessities. And, subsequently, to other cosmetics. “Associations now have the ability to handle large volumes, assures Emmanuel Guichard, general delegate of the Federation of beauty companies (Febea), who does not report any difficulties in applying the text. The change will be a little more burdensome for very small businesses, for which it will pose more logistical and administrative constraints. “
Destruction of stocks, a widespread practice in luxury goods
For luxury or high-end products, brands want to avoid at all costs the emergence of a parallel market or the devaluation of their products through destocking. Destruction of stockpiles has been a widespread practice for some houses. In 2018, the British brand Burberry was pinned for having burned the equivalent of 30 million euros in cosmetics.
“It acted as a detonator in the sector, analysis Serge Carreira, head of the Emerging Brands Initiative at the Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion. The anti-waste law has led to amplify this awareness already at work. “ The practice of selling cheaper “declawed” products, common in the past, has become rare. “Now, brands are thinking about how to transform unsold items, by resizing certain pieces or transforming them into boutique uniforms”, continues Serge Carreira.
Home appliance relies on repair
Repair also appears more and more as an option in the sectors which can. In household appliances, nearly half of unsold products are unsold because they have breakdowns or minor defects. “Fortunately, we did not wait for the law to structure us, because it can take several years, says Katel Bergot, director of the second life branch at Fnac Darty Occasion. We have three solutions: second-hand reconditioned resale, donation to associations and, as a last resort, resale to brokers who collect the parts. “
→ READ. Sneakers, smartphones, diapers… How to really consume responsibly?
Within the group, repackaging – which was done in the past in a less structured way – has been organized. “We have set up a network of workshops and recruited technician profiles, continues Katel Bergot. All of these solutionsrepresents a cost that is not fully compensated, but also generates unaccounted economic and extra-financial value. “
A series of other sectors, such as toys and books, will in turn have this ban imposed on December 31, 2023, after the establishment of their own collection channel. The creation of an EPR sector is also expected in the building sector, the leading producer of waste in terms of volume.(3.5 tonnes per capita in 2016). This was to come into force in 2022, but it has been postponed by one year.
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Other measures of the anti-waste law enter into force
At 1is January, some unprocessed fruits and vegetables can no longer be wrapped in plastic.
Plastic toys can no longer be offered on children’s menus.
Establishments open to the public must allow access to a drinking water point.
Ban on plastic packaging for the delivery of newspapers, magazines and advertisements.
The state no longer buys plastic productsfor single use for use in the workplace or at events it organizes.
The affixing of the “Triman” logo, indicating that packaging is recyclable, is mandatory for the products concerned. It is accompanied by instructions on how to sort.
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