E-commerce: Substantial environmental impact from returned goods
E-commerce is increasing rapidly. But so is the number of returned goods. In the fashion industry, the percentage of returns is particularly high, with a substantial environmental impact as a consequence. At the same time, many consumers are unaware of what happens to their returns.Sharon Cullinane, professor in sustainable logistics, and Michael Browne, professor of logistics and urban freight transport at the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, are coming to the end of a two-year project financed by the Swedish Energy Agency studying the energy use and