ESPR Support study for developing a method for assessing data from the disclosure obligation on the destruction of unsold consumer products and for the definition of product-specific or sectoral bans

Study in the context of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Article 24 of the new ESPR establishes a general obligation of transparency for economic operators who discard ‘unsold consumer products’, including disclosing information on the number of unsold consumer products discarded per year, differentiated per type or category of products, the reasons for the discarding of products; and the delivery of discarded products to preparing for reuse, including refurbishment and remanufacturing, recycling and other recovery including energy recovery.

The study will analyse existing industry-wide practices related to the destruction of unsold products in various sectors in order to draft a format for the disclosure of the information about destruction of unsold products. Moreover, an analytical framework/methodology for assessing the environmental consequences of product destruction, including greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and resource depletion and understanding their life cycle management will be developed. In addition, the study will also develop a methodology to assess the potential net benefit of putting a ban in place.