Prohibit the destruction of new goods

Forderungen des Klimarats der Bürger:innen 2022 auto-translated using AI

Prohibit the destruction of new goods

Currently, huge amounts of new goods, especially in online retail, are being destroyed (in Austria 1.4 million packages of new goods per year) because their return to the sales process causes higher costs than the destruction. This waste of resources must be significantly reduced by prohibiting the destruction of new goods. Independent bodies should be established for control; penalties should be consistently imposed from the first offense. (Such a ban was recently introduced in Germany. However, research has shown that large quantities of new goods continue to be destroyed despite the ban.) To prevent circumvention by online retailers and a shifting of costs onto consumers, supplementary agreements should be made with the companies regarding their self-commitment. In the event that the goods have become unsaleable due to the return, they should be passed on to those in need or social institutions. This donation must be disclosed and made transparent in order to generate a promotional effect for the companies and at the same time ignite a competition among the retailers for more sustainability.