A recent Fast Company article written by the chief sustainability officer of Blue Yonder, Saskia van Gendt, caught my attention. Van Gendt wrote that while free returns have become a “powerful driver of online shopping,” they also come with hidden environmental consequences.
Many shoppers do not think about what happens after an item has been returned – most assume the item is simply returned to stock for resale, but as Van Gendt points out, a large share of returned items cannot be resold due to various reasons. Instead of recycling, repairing, or reselling items in the secondary markets, many returned items end up in landfills because it’s often thought of as less expensive versus repairing or recycling.
According to the Sierra Club, in 2020, 5.8 billion pounds of returned goods in the United States ended up in landfills in 2020. This resulted in returned clothes being responsible for 700 million pounds of waste.
Globally, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the world produces over 92 million tons of textile waste annually, equivalent to a truckload dumped every second. Fashion is among the world’s highest polluting industries. If that’s not enough to catch your attention, here’s another data point: According to Glimpse From The Global, estimates as much as 39,000 tons of unwanted clothing are dumped annually in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
It’s not only fashion and textiles. According to the UN’s E-waste Monitor 2024, a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced in 2022, up 82% from 2010 and on track to rise another 32% to 82 million tonnes in 2030. Furthermore, the UN notes that only 25% of e-waste was recycled in 2022.
Reducing Waste
As Van Gendt writes, reducing the environmental impact of returns will require both retailer and consumer changes — such as improving product information to prevent returns, offering incentives for more sustainable return methods, and expanding resale or recommerce channels. Without such shifts, the convenience of free returns will continue to carry a largely invisible but growing environmental cost.
Brands should also adopt circular design principles. This includes designing for recyclability and minimizing blended fabrics that are difficult to process at the end of life. Some companies also offer take-back programs, in which worn garments are collected for reuse or recycling.
Recycling is also critical for managing e-waste, as electronics contain valuable materials such as copper, gold, and rare earth elements. Proper recycling ensures these materials are recovered and reused, reducing the need for new resource extraction. However, recycling systems must be accessible and well-regulated to prevent illegal dumping or unsafe processing practices. Many manufacturers and retailers now offer e-waste collection programs, but greater participation and awareness are needed to make these systems effective.
Small changes in behavior, such as buying thoughtfully, maintaining products, and disposing of them responsibly, can make a significant impact. By prioritizing longevity and circular use, consumers help reduce waste, conserve resources, and encourage companies to adopt more sustainable practices.
Ultimately, reducing apparel and electronic waste depends on a shift toward a circular economy, where products are designed, used, and reused in a continuous loop rather than discarded after a single lifecycle. Consumers, businesses, and policymakers all play a role in driving this transition. Through more mindful consumption, better design, and stronger recycling systems, it is possible to significantly reduce waste and its environmental impact.
Tony Sciarrotta is a global leader and authoritative voice for the returns industry and Executive Director of RL Solutions Group.
