ESPR The EU destruction ban & what it changes
The destruction ban didn't create a logging problem. It created a decision you have to defend.
From July 2026, large fashion and footwear brands can no longer destroy unsold goods. Every unit needs a defensible route — and the reasoning behind it. FINDS turns end-of-life routing into an audit-ready decision.
Sits on top of your existing ERP / WMS. No replacement, no IT project.
Key ESPR Dates
Feb 2026
Rules finalised
Commission closes the loopholes; standardised disclosure format published.
Now
Implementation window open
Put routing logic, evidence & controls in place before the ban applies.
19 Jul 2026
Destruction ban — large enterprises
Apparel, accessories & footwear. Fines and public-procurement exclusion.
Feb 2027
Mandatory annual disclosure
First public disclosure in standardised format. Needs 12 months of clean data.
What actually changed
A spreadsheet records what you did. It can't defend why you did it.
The ban doesn't just ask where each batch went. It asks whether routing it there was the right, defensible call — and whether you can prove it on demand.
Recycling is not exemptRecycling, energy recovery and disposal all count as destruction. Only preparing-for-reuse is carved out, so your current default is likely non-compliant.
Every exception needs evidenceTen derogations, each requiring documented justification, retained five years and producible within the authority's response window.
Disclosure becomes publicFrom 2027, annual disclosure in a fixed EU format. The data you record now is what you'll report.
Aligned to the Feb 2026 package · Implementing Reg. (EU) 2026/2 · Annex VII CN codes
Decision Ledger
ESPR · audit-ready
Routed → Preparing-for-reuse
SS24-1042 · resale condition verified · exempt under derogation.
Routed → Outlet, Iberia
SS24-0887 · value retained · no destruction event recorded.
Routed → Recycling
FW23-3310 · derogation justification required before sign-off.
Approved by Head of Sustainability
Within brand policy & ESPR derogation rules.
Logged to immutable ledger
Full lineage, retained 5 years, ready for the disclosure export.
How FINDS covers it
Decide the route. Record the reasoning. Generate the disclosure.
01
Decide the route
FINDS scores every unit on value, condition and risk, then recommends a defensible destination against the derogation rules: reuse, outlet, donation or recycling.
02
Record the reasoning
The decision and its evidence are written to the ledger as you act, classified against Annex VII CN codes and retained for the five-year window.
03
Generate the disclosure
Export your annual ESPR disclosure in the exact standardised format, ready for regulators and your sustainability report in one click.
The same decision layer that routes your end-of-life inventory produces the compliance evidence as a by-product. One workflow, on top of the systems you already run.
Trust
Working with the brands that set the standard.
L'Oréal Groupe
Etam Group
See your brand's ESPR exposure and exactly how FINDS covers it.
A focused 20-minute walkthrough. We map your end-of-life routes to the new rules and show where the evidence comes from.