Online Shopping: Returns, Waste, and Carbon Footprints

We all love the convenience of online shopping. Just a few clicks, and boom—clothes show up at your door. But have you ever thought about what happens behind the scenes? Like the shipping, the returns, and what happens to all the clothes that get sent back? It turns out, online shopping has a bigger environmental footprint than we usually imagine.

The Problem with Returns

Let’s start with something most of us don’t think twice about—returns.

When clothes don’t fit or look like they did online, we send them back. But here’s the thing: more than 30% of online clothing purchases are returned, according to data from Statista. And a lot of those returns don’t go back on the shelf—they go straight to the landfill.

Why? Because it’s often cheaper for companies to dump returned clothes than to restock, inspect, and repackage them. In the U.S. alone, nearly 5 billion pounds of returned goods end up in landfills each year. That’s like dumping more than 14 Empire State Buildings’ worth of stuff—every single year.

The Carbon Footprint of Fast Delivery

We’ve all clicked that “free 2-day shipping” button. But quick delivery comes at a cost—literally and environmentally.

• Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in e-commerce. Trucks, planes, and vans carrying individual packages create more emissions than bulk shipping to physical stores.

• According to a report by MIT, next-day or same-day shipping can increase carbon emissions by up to 35% compared to slower delivery options.

• Packaging waste is another issue. Many items are wrapped in layers of plastic, paper, and cardboard. In 2022 alone, Amazon used over 200 million pounds of plastic packaging, much of which ends up in oceans and landfills.

Fast Fashion + Online Shopping = Disaster

Now imagine all of this combined with fast fashion—cheap clothes, made quickly, and meant to be worn only a few times. Online retailers churn out new styles every week, making it super tempting to keep buying more.

The result? Tons of textile waste.

• In 2022, it was estimated that 60% of all clothing purchased online was either returned, discarded, or never worn.

• Most synthetic clothes (like polyester) don’t decompose and can take up to 200 years to break down in a landfill.

Chart: How Online Shopping Impacts the Environment

Impact Area	Key Stats
Returns	30–40% return rate in clothing e-commerce
Landfilled Returns	~5 billion lbs/year (U.S.)
Delivery Emissions	Up to 35% higher CO₂ from same-day/next-day shipping
Packaging Waste	Amazon used 208 million lbs of plastic in 2022
Fast Fashion Waste	60% of online-bought clothing is returned or never worn

What Can We Do About It?

Okay, this all sounds pretty depressing—but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how we can shop smarter online and reduce waste:

• Think twice before buying. Ask yourself: Do I really need this?

• Check your sizes. Use measurement guides and read reviews to avoid returns.

• Choose slower shipping. It’s more sustainable—and usually free anyway.

• Shop from eco-conscious brands. Some offer recyclable packaging or offset shipping emissions.

• Return responsibly. Some stores offer in-store drop-offs or repair programs.

The Takeaway

Online shopping isn’t going away. But we can be more mindful about how we use it. Every package comes with an invisible environmental cost. The next time you're about to click "Buy Now," think about where that item came from, how it’s getting to you, and what might happen to it if you send it back.