It’s easy to return an order placed online. Customers can often return their online orders for free. Some retailers allow customers to keep the items while offering full refunds.

AmazonYou can return your items at Kohl’s, UPSWhole Foods or Whole Foods Without boxing it up or even printing a label.

There’s also a dark side to this record-breaking flood of returns that flooded warehouses following the holiday season.

Tobin Moore is the CEO of Optoro returns solution provider. He stated, “From all these returns, there now nearly 6 million pounds of landfill trash generated each year, and 16,000,000 metric tons CO2 emissions as well.” That’s equivalent to the amount of waste generated by 3.3 million Americans per year.

Moore claims that online orders are three times as likely to be returned to you than those purchased in stores. A record $761 billion in merchandise returns were recorded by Moore according to estimates from a new reportFrom the National Retail Federation.

According to the report, 10.3% of these returns were fraudulent. CNBC also heard from Amazon sellers who claimed that they throw away around a third of the returns. Returns

Micah Clausen who is selling party supplies and other home goods under an Amazon third-party seller named Micah Clausen stated, “Somebody needs to pay that.” Iconikal. It’s Amazon, or the third-party seller. They lose their bottom line, and prices will rise.

UPS forecasts that the holiday season of 2021 will be a success 10% increase in returns compared to the year-earlier period, which translates into more waste — and expense — for all online retailers.

You are at the top of the pack Amazon has received mounting criticismOver the disposal of many millions of products. According to the giant e-commerce site, it now says that its goal is “zero product disposal.” The company launched new programs in order to provide sellers like Clausen with new opportunities to resell or auction off their products on the liquidation markets.

Liquidity ServicesMeredith Diggs, consumer marketing manager, explains how e-commerce normalized shopping behavior that leads to higher returns.

“Wardrobing [is]Diggs stated that people order identical items in three different sizes so they can see which size fits them best, then return the two that don’t fit.

Raunak Nirmal, who worked at Amazon before he started an Amazon aggregator, said, “Categories such as apparel have really, really high returns rates in the 10s percents.” AcqucoMore than 40 other brands are represented by him. He has a return rate closer to 3%.

Nirmal explained that Amazon might allow the new product to be sold on their listing. But it must be in good condition to do that.

Amazon allows sellers to return items that are no longer in good condition. They can choose from one of four possible options. Return to Seller, DisposalAmazon Fulfillment, Liquidation or (by invitation only) Grade and Resell.

The Retour to the SellerThe return can travel several additional legs via truck, plane, or cargo ship from Amazon. The item is returned to the seller to be processed further. It could then go to another Amazon warehouse to be sorted and repacked, or it could continue on to a customer who may choose to return the item.

“You’re essentially forced to decide if you want to recall that inventory to your warehouse — which is an expensive process — repackage it yourself, and then ship it back into a warehouse to sell, which doesn’t make sense I would say 80% to 90% of the time. Nirmal suggested that it was possible to either dispose of the inventory.

PossessionThis is a very common outcome for many online retailers. CNBC received a statement from Amazon stating that no items will be sent to landfill. Our goal is zero product disposal. We work towards that goal and it’s our top priority to sell, donate or recycle unsold products. Last resort: We may send your items to energy recovery. However, we are working hard to reduce the amount of this happening.

It’s often referred to as “energy recovery”, which can also mean it was burned. It’s often called “Energy recovery” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.the conversion of nonrecyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion and landfill gas recovery.”

Shay Machen is a seasonal worker in a Mississippi Amazon returns center. “The only thing that truly shocked me was the things that the computer system says you should destroy.” A book was sent back to me. It was a children’s book. However, the customer stated that the book was bent upon delivery. No matter what I did, the system said that the item had to be destroyed. That was quite heartbreaking.

E-commerce is known for disposing of returned items. Brands that sell luxury retail products include Burberry have been criticized in the pastBurberry stopped the practice of burning unsold merchandise in order to protect its brands in 2018, telling CNBC. A Danish TV station reported H&M burned 60 tons of new and unsold clothes since 2013, a claim that H&M told CNBC was a misunderstanding. An H&M spokesperson said, “The products media referred to had been affected by mold or did not comply with our chemical restrictions.” Similar claims have been made. Coach, Urban Outfitters, Michael Kors, Victoria’s SecretPlease see the following: J.C. Penney.

Moore stated that it was the most straightforward thing to do, and some brands will do this because they are concerned about protecting their brand, and don’t want less valuable items on the marketplace. 

These brands include NikeThey’ve found innovative ways to turn returns into valuable items.

Moore explained that shoes that aren’t selling might end up being ground up and made into tracks. It takes energy to turn things into another item. First and foremost, if it can be sold in its original state it is the best situation for the environment.

Amazon provides a variety of programs to help with this. Certain electronics, such as Amazon phones, tablets, and smartphones, can be used to make these purchases. it gives customers the optionSend them to certified recyclerOr trade them inAmazon gift certificates Since 2019, it FBA Donations programAllows sellers to offer eligible overstock or returns to charitable groups via a non-profit network called Good360. Amazon claims more than 67 millionSo far, items were donated.

Amazon has also revealed two brand new rehoming programs last year, after British broadcaster ITV reported that the company was destroying millions of itemsYou can find TVs as well as laptops, drones, or hairdryers in one U.K. warehouse.

First, there’s LiquidationAmazon offers this option to sellers instead of disposing.

Amazon and major retailers have partnered with liquidation markets like Liquidity ServicesAnd B-Stock SolutionsWhich auction off unwanted inventoryfor resellers per pallet, or even truckload.

Nirmal explained that you can recover up to 5% of your sales price if the product is liquidated. And at the end, someone will hopefully be able to use the product.

Hope Allen is one of the most popular YouTubers. She has a reputation for finding great deals online and liquidation pallets are a popular trend. She was the most popular YouTube creator last year. paid $575 for a pallet of Amazon returns Liquidation.comIt was allegedly worth nearly $10,000. She unpacked it and posted the video on her YouTube channel. HopeScope.

The pallet contained some trash items. Then there was other stuff like UGG Robes and nice heated winter gear. This was not worth the effort to restock. Allen stated that the coat is $300.

Howard Rosenberg, founder of B-Stock Solutions and CEO of B-Stock Solutions said that he thinks we sold 42 truckloads worth of floor tiles for one client. We have sold a lot of phones that were worth more than a million dollars at one auction.

Resellers can sell liquidations, which are then sold at flea markets and on websites like Craigslist or eBay. Allen makes a profit on the things she does not keep. PoshmarkThey can be donated or used.

Allen stated, “It’s similar to dumpster diving but slightly safer, more legal, and more promising.”

Amazon offers sellers an alternative option. However, it is only by invitation until the end of this year.

Below the FBA Grade and ResellAmazon assigns items a rating such as New, Very Good and Good. Then, it resells them on its website in special areas. These are the sections. Warehouse DealsFor used goods Amazon RenewedFor refurbished goods, Amazon OutletFor overstock, a smile and tongue in cheek daily deal sitecalled Woot!That sells for $10Bag of CrapThe company describes itself as “a wild outpost on the fringes of the Amazon community.”

You can see the video below to find out more about online returns.