How to Make Returns More Sustainable

Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in e-commerce. More online stores are becoming aware of the impact their business, products, and deliveries have on the environment. Consequently, there is a strong drive to find ways to limit this impact and contribute positively to the future of our planet.

The return process, as a key component of e-commerce, is a challenging topic when it comes to sustainability. A high volume of returns simply means a lot of transport and packaging material, which in most cases places a burden on the environment. 

Fortunately, there are more and more ways to minimize this burden. The following four methods help online store owners make their shipping and return processes as sustainable as possible.

1) Printing is no longer necessary 

It may seem like a small part of the return process, but it can make a big difference. Are you still using paper return forms where the customer has to fill in what the return shipment entails and why a product is being returned? In this day and age, this is no longer necessary; barcodes can be scanned directly from a phone.

With the right return software , the customer can easily enter this information into an online return portal. This saves paper as well as the consumer's time and money, and you also have all the information directly in an online system. Furthermore, many consumers no longer have a printer at home, which makes it difficult to print a return label .

In the Netherlands, we collectively placed about 258 million online orders in 2019. About 13% of those were returned, which amounts to 33.5 million return shipments per year. And that is just in the Netherlands. Can you imagine how many sheets of paper we could save if all packages worldwide were registered via an online return system?

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2) Sustainable packaging 

Return shipments result in quite a bit of wasted packaging material for many online stores. In many cases, a shipment is packed in a combination of plastic and paper, containing both the products and a generous amount of air. According to research by PostNL it turns out that 50% of an average package consists of air, meaning most packaging is far too large.

Fortunately, there are several ways to package a product as sustainably as possible. Consider, for example: 

• Reducing the air in the packaging
• Using sustainable materials 
• Using letterbox-friendly packaging
• Using packaging that can be reused (for returns, for example) 
  

The aforementioned study by PostNL shows that 24% of surveyed consumers consider it important to receive sustainable packaging. There is still a lot of awareness to be gained among consumers here! 

Coolblue is a great example of a company that pays attention to sustainable packaging. In 2017, the company invested in a new packaging machine that automatically adjusts boxes to the size of the order. This saves on packaging material, but also on space in delivery vans, meaning fewer trips are required. Pieter Zwart of Coolblue notes that since the introduction of the new machine, 15% more packages fit into a truck.

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3) Sustainable transport 

It will come as no surprise to anyone that ordering and returning packages generates CO2 emissions. Almost always, orders are driven back and forth by trucks between sorting centers and distribution centers, after which vans deliver or collect them at pickup points or at people's homes.

Fortunately, the impact of transport can also be reduced in several ways. As briefly mentioned earlier, the size of the package makes a big difference. The more effectively a product is packaged, the more packages fit into a van or truck, and the fewer trips are needed. 

Furthermore, working with pickup and drop-off points also reduces the number of trips required. In this case, the van only needs to visit one address instead of the home addresses of all customers in the neighborhood.

Homerr, one of the carriers we work with at Returnista, is a perfect example of a courier company that pays a lot of attention to sustainability. Homerr works with both pickup and drop-off points and uses vans that are already traveling along a specific route to a pickup point. This allows them to save up to 79% in CO2 emissions per package.

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4) Reducing returns with a smart return process

Finally, and perhaps the most important method of all, is limiting returns in general. Every return that can be prevented saves on transport and packaging materials.

There are several ways to limit the number of returns. Some useful methods include:  

• By tracking the right data you can respond to return behavior. It is best to remove products that are frequently returned from your assortment or give them a less prominent position. You can highlight products that are returned less often. By playing this game smartly, you can significantly reduce the number of returns.
  

• Adding sufficient information to the website so that the customer orders the right product. For example, choose to add size charts and photos or even videos that are as clear as possible. Customer photos and reviews can also help create a realistic image of the product. 
  

• Using a convenient online return portal where the customer can easily register their return and also choose a green alternative for the return shipment and even offset the CO2 of the return

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Interested?

Are you interested in using Returnista's convenient return portal? Or would you like to talk to us about sustainable returns? We would love to hear from you. 

With Returnista's software, returns are no longer a pain point. Increase customer satisfaction and lower your costs with the help of a great return portal and a complete data dashboard. Do you want to get more value out of your return process, just like Decathlon, Loavies, and Asos? Then request a demo on our website.