Televisions or shampoos, these unsold items that can no longer be destroyed Subscribers

One more step in the fight against unnecessary waste. From January ¹ , 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 unsold items are already destocked, recycled or donated, the Ecological Transition Agency estimated that around 7% was destroyed in 2019 in the 12 main non-food sectors. Or the equivalent of 300 million euros in market value.

The January ¹ date is only a first step. The sectors affected by the ban are those which already had a well-functioning collection and recycling mechanism before the promulgation of the 2020 anti-waste law. Namely an EPR sector (for Extended Producer Responsibility), which involves including a waste management system.

So what will become of the unsold items – hitherto destroyed – which will now have to be recovered? General delegate of the Alliance du Commerce, which federates clothing stores, Yohann Petiot rules out any particular difficulty of implementation: “Stocks are already largely oriented in destocking networks in France and abroad. , or towards the donation, he says. A part is also recycled. »

With longer shelf life, the issue is posed in slightly different terms for personal care and beauty products. If clothing directs a large part of its unsold products towards destocking, the cosmetics sector has mainly sold them through donations.

→ ANALYSIS. Unsold non-food items: donations to associations are on the rise

The movement should be strengthened 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 capacity to manage 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 heavier to bear for very small companies, for which it will pose more logistical and administrative constraints. »

Destruction of inventory, a widespread practice in luxury

For luxury or high-end products, brands want to avoid at all costs the emergence of a parallel market or a devaluation of their products through destocking. The destruction of inventory was, for some houses, a widespread practice. In 2018, the British brand Burberry was pinned for burning the equivalent of 30 million euros worth of cosmetics.

“It acted as a detonator in the sector, analyzes Serge Carreira, head of the Emerging Brands Initiative at the Fédération de la haute couture et de la mode. The anti-waste law has led to amplifying this awareness already at work. The practice of selling cheaper “off-the-shelf” products, common in the past, has become rare. “From now on, brands are thinking about how to transform unsold items, by resizing certain pieces or transforming them into boutique uniforms,” continues Serge Carreira.

Appliances focus on repair

Repair is also increasingly appearing as an option in the sectors that can. In household appliances, nearly half of unsold items are sold because they have minor faults or defects. "Fortunately, we did not wait for the law to structure ourselves, because it can take several years," says Katel Bergot, director of the second life branch at Fnac Darty Occasion. We have three solutions: reconditioned second-hand resale, donation to associations and, as a last resort, resale to brokers who recover the parts. »

→ REREAD. Sneakers, smartphones, nappies… How to really consume responsibly?

Within the group, reconditioning – which was done in a less structured way in the past – has been organised. “We have set up a network of workshops and recruited technician profiles, continues Katel Bergot. All of these solutions represent a cost that is not fully offset, but also generates value, economic and extra-financial, that is not accounted for. »

A series of other sectors, such as toys and books, will in turn be imposed this ban 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 volume (3.5 tonnes per inhabitant 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 come into force

As of January ¹ , certain unprocessed fruits and vegetables can no longer be wrapped in plastic.

Plastic toys can no longer be offered in children's menus.

Establishments open to the public must provide access to a drinking water point.

Ban on plastic packaging for the delivery of newspapers, magazines and advertisements.

The State no longer purchases single-use plastic products for use in workplaces or at events it organizes.

Affixing the “Triman” logo, indicating that packaging is recyclable, is compulsory for the products concerned. It is accompanied by instructions on how to sort.