ELIZABETH II

Merchandise Waste Prevention Act

2021 CHAPTER 22

An act to regulate the disposal of unsold merchandise..
Changelog
Bill ID B085
Author(s) The Rt Hon. Rev. Sir George H. Vere KOBC PC MP, 1st Baron of Barrow and Furness
Amended by The Rt Hon. Rev. Sir George H. Vere KOBC PC MP, 1st Baron of Barrow and Furness
First reading 2021 July 22
Royal assent 2021 September 20
Commencement 2021 September 20
Affected legislation N/A

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1 Definitions

  1. ‘Large retailer’ is defined as a retailer with profits in excess of £500,000 per year.
  2. ‘Large wholesaler’ is defined as any wholesale, warehouse, or third-party marketplace operation that deals with more than £150,000 worth of products per year.

2 Unsold merchandise disposal

  1. All large wholesalers, and any large retailer that stores at least £2 million worth of products on-site per location, will be forbidden from destroying unsold items, sending unsold products to landfills, or otherwise disposing of products in ways other than those listed in this legislation.
  2. Products that are deemed ‘unsold’ by their retailer, wholesaler, or warehouse must be resold or transferred to another seller, donated to a registered charity, or given to a recycling facility.
  3. The provisions of this bill shall not apply to perishable food products, expired products, and other products deemed exempt by the Department for Business, Regeneration, and Industrial Strategy.

3 Enforcement

  1. Investigation and enforcement of this act shall be under the control of the Department for Business, Regeneration, and Industrial Strategy.
  2. Any applicable business found in violation of this act shall be subjected to a fine equal to 75% of the value of each improperly disposed item.

4 Short title, commencement and extent

  1. This Act may be cited as the Merchandise Waste Prevention Act 2021.
  2. This Act comes into force upon royal assent.
  3. This Act extends to the United Kingdom.
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