(Bloomberg) — France is taking aim at the fashion industry’s heavy environmental footprint with a plan to stop companies from destroying unsold items, a government official said. While mass-market apparel brands often mark down goods until their shelves are cleared, luxury labels have long preferred to burn some unsold items or bury them in landfills rather than risk damage to their image that might come from having them spotted in discount bins. It’s shocking.”Poirson called on brands to tackle the matter at the industry level but said the government would pursue a ban. The pledge comes after Burberry Group Plc said last year that it would end the practice after the disclosure that the U.K. trenchcoat maker destroyed almost $37 million worth of unsold goods in 2017. Finding other ways to dispose of $2,500 jackets or $1,000 shoes will be challenging for luxury brands that don’t want to give away unsold items, since the array of materials in them could make recycling difficult.

Source: National Post May 15, 2019 14:26 UTC