{"id":10304,"date":"2026-08-26T13:43:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T08:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warehousing1.com\/blog\/?p=10304"},"modified":"2026-08-26T14:14:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T08:44:03","slug":"eu-vernichtungsverbot-fuer-retouren-was-online-haendler-2026-wissen-muessen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warehousing1.com\/blog\/en\/eu-vernichtungsverbot-fuer-retouren-was-online-haendler-2026-wissen-muessen\/","title":{"rendered":"EU ban on the destruction of returned goods: What online retailers need to know in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For a long time, returns were regarded purely as a logistical matter: return shipping, visual inspection, restocking \u2013 that was it. What was often overlooked, however, was stock that, after being returned, never made it back into the product range at all but was instead disposed of. It is precisely here that a new EU rule has come into force this summer: the ban on the destruction of unsold consumer goods.<\/p>\n\n

Since 19 July 2026, large companies have no longer been permitted to simply destroy certain unsold goods, particularly clothing and footwear. For online retailers with significant return rates, this changes the way they calculate costs. Those who have previously simply disposed of unsaleable returned goods now need a process for inspecting, refurbishing and reselling them. This article explains exactly what the ban on destruction entails, who it affects and how returns processes can be adapted accordingly.<\/p>\n\n

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