Free returns sound like a customer-friendly policy. But behind every easy return is an environmental cost that rarely gets discussed.
How big is the returns problem?
In 2023, Americans returned approximately $743 billion worth of merchandise. Online return rates run between 20-30%, compared to about 8-10% for in-store purchases. For clothing specifically, return rates can hit 40%.
That means for every 10 garments ordered online, roughly 3-4 come back.
What happens to returned items
Here’s what most people don’t realize: many returned items don’t go back on the shelf.
Processing a return costs retailers between $10-$30 per item. For lower-priced items, it’s often cheaper to write off the product than to inspect, repackage, and restock it. An estimated 5 billion pounds of returned goods end up in U.S. landfills each year.
Even items that do get resold often go through a complex reverse logistics chain: shipped back to a warehouse, inspected, sometimes shipped to a liquidation center, then resold at a discount or bundled for export.
Each step adds transportation emissions.
The “bracket buying” problem
Free returns have enabled a shopping behavior called “bracketing,” where people order multiple sizes or colors with the intention of returning most of them. Some brands have even encouraged this: “Not sure about your size? Order both and send one back!”
This doubles or triples the production, shipping, and processing impact of a single purchase. And because return shipping is often “free” to the consumer, there’s no financial friction to discourage it.
What you can do
- Check sizing carefully before ordering. Read reviews for fit notes. Measure yourself. Look at the size chart. Five minutes of research prevents a round trip across the country.
- Avoid bracket buying. Pick one. If it doesn’t work, make a deliberate exchange rather than ordering three and keeping one.
- Try in-store when possible. In-store purchases have significantly lower return rates because you can see, touch, and try items before buying.
- Ask yourself before ordering: “Am I 80% sure I’ll keep this?” If not, don’t click buy.
Free returns aren’t free. The environment absorbs the cost. Being more intentional about online purchases is one of the simplest sustainability practices available to anyone with an internet connection.
