Overview

Amazon has shortened the timeframe that UK and EU Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers have to act on unfulfillable inventory. The disposal notice period has been cut from 30 days to 23 days, meaning sellers now have one week less to decide whether to remove, liquidate, or return stock. Missing the new deadline triggers automatic disposal or donation, a change that directly affects inventory costs and brand protection strategies.

Key Points

• Window reduced to 23 days — Unfulfillable items in UK and EU fulfillment centers will be disposed of after 23 days, seven days less than before.
• Automatic disposal by default — Sellers without a pre‑configured automated handling rule will fall under Amazon’s standard disposal process once the 23‑day limit expires.
• No reversal after disposal order — Once Amazon generates a disposal order at the end of the period, the action cannot be cancelled or altered.
• Donation and recycling prioritized — In line with EU circular‑economy goals, Amazon will first attempt to donate or recycle the stock before destroying it.
• Automated options: liquidation or return — Sellers can choose to have unfulfillable items liquidated for partial recovery or returned to a designated address for resale or inspection.
• Impact on storage fees — Faster removal of dead stock may free up warehouse capacity and could lower long‑term storage charges for compliant sellers.

What's Changing

1. Reduced notice period — Amazon now sends the unfulfillable inventory alert and starts the 23‑day countdown, instead of the previous 30‑day window. For example, a seller receiving a notification on March 1 will see the disposal deadline on March 24 rather than March 31.
2. Default disposal activation — If a seller has not set up an automated handling rule, Amazon automatically applies its standard disposal workflow once the 23‑day timer ends. A seller with 50 units of damaged electronics that never configured a rule will see those units donated or recycled on the deadline date.