The fashion and lifestyle industries are entering a new phase of transformation. With the introduction of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the European Union is moving beyond traditional sustainability claims and setting a new framework for how products must be designed, managed and traced across their entire lifecycle.
A new regulatory paradigm for product sustainability
The ESPR is not only a compliance requirement. It is a new product rule designed to make sustainable products the norm in the European market. Its impact starts upstream, influencing how products are conceived, engineered and manufactured, while connecting with downstream obligations such as waste management and Extended Producer Responsibility.
In this context, product design becomes a strategic lever. Brands will need to rethink material strategies, simplify product architectures, build reliable data systems and prepare for circular models based on repair, resale, refurbishment and recovery.
Footwear is one of the categories most exposed to this transformation. Its complex multi-material construction, frequent use of adhesives and technical difficulty in disassembly make incremental improvements insufficient. A deeper redesign approach is required to align products with future requirements around durability, repairability, recyclability and traceability.
From end-of-life to new value streams
The end-of-life phase is no longer external to the business model. It is becoming an integral part of how fashion companies design, operate and create value.
ACBC’s latest research explores how unsold, defective and deadstock footwear can be transformed into new material streams through product disassembly, material-specific processing and circular material generation. This approach shifts the perspective from waste management to value recovery, enabling brands to reduce environmental impact while preparing for future regulatory expectations.
How ACBC supports brands in the ESPR transition
ACBC helps brands move from compliance risk to competitive advantage through an integrated approach that connects strategy, design, data and deployment.
Our support includes
- Analysis: product portfolio assessment and ESPR gap analysis.
- Design: ecodesign guidelines, material innovation and product re-engineering.
- Data: digital Product Passport readiness, material mapping and supply chain transparency.
- Deploy: circular business models and EPR strategy support.
As regulations evolve, brands that act early will be better positioned to transform compliance into innovation. ESPR represents a shift from linear product logic to circular product responsibility, where design, data and end-of-life strategy become key drivers of competitiveness.
At ACBC, we believe that innovation starts when businesses are willing to rethink what products are made of, how they are designed and what happens after their first life.
When we say Anything Can Be Changed, we mean it.
