France’s prime minister has announced a crackdown on the destruction of unsold or returned consumer products, a move that will affect luxury goods brands and online retailers such as Amazon, reports The Guardian.
Édouard Philippe said a ban on destroying non-food goods – including clothes, electrical items, hygiene products and cosmetics – would come into force within the next four years.
The announcement came after the success of green parties in last month’s European parliamentary elections, not least in France where the EELV party came third with 13.5% of the vote.
More than €650m (£576m) worth of new consumer products were thrown away or destroyed every year in France, according to the prime minister’s office.
“It is a waste that shocks, that is shocking to common sense. It’s a scandal,” said Philippe, as he launched the measure at a discount store in Paris.
The measure would make it compulsory to hand in the products to be re-used or recycled, and is part of a draft bill on the economy which is due to be discussed by the cabinet in July. It would come into law sometime between 2021-23.