The French government has been making steps to become more eco-friendly, and it’s most recent proposal to cut waste is set to affect online retailers such as Amazon and large luxury brands. 

The destruction of non-food items, such as clothing, household appliances, beauty and hygiene products will end in France within the next 5 years as part of an anti-waste bill which will be presented to the Council of Ministers in July and aims to instead ensure these products are given away or recycled by the end of 2023. 

Today more than $600 million of new and unsold non-food products are discarded or destroyed each year, according to the government, and the prime minister, Edouard Philippe has stated that "We can avoid (...) this scandalous waste.. (&) our idea is not to constrain or impose, but to support companies (...) to ensure that we move to a new stage in our economy."

The PM's office said special arrangements are anticipated for the luxury sector to avoid allowing brands to use the excuse that they are maintaining the exclusivity and luxury mystique of the brand by destroying unsold goods.

France's junior environment minister Brune Poirson promised a law to tackle waste in January after a documentary was released showing the online retail giant, Amazon destroying products that had been returned by consumers.   

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about France’s new proposed Ban on Destroying Unsold Goods! Do you think this will help France’s economy make a positive impact on the environment? Join the conversation below!