WHO KNEW There Could Be So Much Landfill Waste from Online Shopping Returns?

According to "The Wall Street Journal," American Eagle, an in-store and online clothing company, used OPTORO software to help move their returns back to the shelves as quickly as possible to minimize stock shortfalls due to supply chain issues. But clothing is easier to repackage and sell as new than many other items.

Retailers estimate spending 66% of a product's price to process returns – transporting, processing, discounting and liquidating. And after all that handling, it’s estimated that 6 Billion pounds of stock ended up in the landfill from the 2021 holiday season (BusinessInsider.com).

With back to school shopping around the corner, how can you, the consumer, help to reduce those figures besides the obvious solution of shopping less? Don’t order several sizes or colors knowing you will be returning some of your order. Investigate your products to avoid unpleasant surprises. Leave your orders in the shopping basket for a few days to give yourself a chance to think it over. You might change your mind. And the best way is to "shop local" so that you can see and touch your purchases beforehand.