Winklmayr Journal  ·  Craft & Responsibility

Nothing wasted.
Everything considered.

The EU has moved to ban the destruction of unsold clothing and shoes. For most of fashion, that means change. For Winklmayr, it has always been the only way to work.

March 2026  ·  Winklmayr Leathercraft, Johannesburg

Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted new rules under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) to stop fashion brands from destroying unsold stock. Beginning in July 2026, large companies will be prohibited from incinerating or discarding unsold apparel, footwear, and accessories — a practice that generates millions of tonnes of CO₂ every year and, quite frankly, was always a little difficult to justify.

The response in the industry has been predictable: consultants scrambling, sustainability teams suddenly busy, press releases being drafted. And none of that is unwelcome. Accountability in fashion is long overdue.

But here at Winklmayr, we found ourselves reading the news with something closer to quiet recognition than urgency. Because not wasting the materials you work with has never been a policy for us. It has been a point of pride — and, if we are honest, just common sense when you are working with some of the finest exotic leather in the world.

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What the EU rules actually say

The new ESPR measures require companies to disclose volumes of unsold goods they discard, and — more significantly — introduce an outright ban on the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories, and footwear. Specific derogations exist for safety reasons or damaged goods, and a standardised disclosure format comes into force from February 2027.

The intent is clear: encourage brands to manage inventory more responsibly, explore resale, remanufacturing, and donation, and move the entire sector towards genuinely circular practices. The Commissioner for Environment described the textile sector as leading the way in the sustainability transition — while acknowledging that the numbers on waste make a compelling case for structural change.

"The numbers on waste show the need to act. With these new measures, the textile sector will be empowered to move towards sustainable and circular practices."

Jessika Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment

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How we have always worked

Winklmayr was founded on a very simple philosophy: when you source extraordinary material — African ostrich leather from the Klein Karoo, CITES-certified Nile crocodile belly leather — you treat every part of that hide with respect. You do not waste it.

That is not an environmental mission statement drafted for a website. It is the practical reality of working with premium exotic leather. Each hide is unique. Each one costs a great deal. And each one represents an animal and an ecosystem that we are obligated — not just encouraged — to use thoughtfully.

In our Johannesburg workshop, offcuts from the major cuts do not go to a bin. They become keyrings. Cat-shaped. Elephant-shaped. Small, tactile pieces that carry genuine Winklmayr craftsmanship and a real piece of the same exotic leather as a R24,000 handbag — sold for under R300. Every piece that leaves this workshop began as part of something larger, and we try to ensure that nothing from that larger thing is simply discarded.

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Made to order, built to last

There is another dimension to this conversation that tends to get lost when the discussion focuses on waste: longevity. The most sustainable object is the one you keep for thirty years.

Ostrich leather, with its natural high oil content, does not degrade the way processed leathers do. A well-made Winklmayr bag does not go out of fashion — it develops a patina, it deepens in tone, it becomes more distinctively yours with every year you carry it. Crocodile leather is considered the world's most durable exotic skin precisely because it outlasts almost everything else in luxury fashion.

This is the opposite of the fast-fashion model that the EU regulations are designed to challenge. A single Winklmayr piece, properly cared for, replaces dozens of cheaper bags across a lifetime. That matters.

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A broader shift — and an opportunity

We welcome the EU's direction here. Not because it changes anything about how we operate, but because it shifts the conversation in the direction it needed to go. Consumers are becoming sharper about provenance, about material quality, about what it means to buy something made responsibly. That is good for everyone who builds things the right way.

At Winklmayr, our CITES certifications, our Klein Karoo sourcing, our zero-waste workshop ethic — these are not add-ons. They are the foundation of the brand. Hanspeter Winklmayr spent three decades in South Africa's exotic leather industry learning that the animals, the land, the craft, and the customer are all part of the same story. The piece you buy is connected to all of it.

The EU is now asking the wider fashion industry to start thinking the same way. We think that is rather a good idea.