Product returns are wasteful for companies and the planet. Here’s how to change that

At the same time, those returned goods are responsible for massive landfill waste and 27 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Based on my experience as the founder of a product-return logistics company and a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University’s W.P. But as demand for sustainable business models increases, it seems to be only a matter of time before companies with wasteful and environmentally harmful returns processes come under closer scrutiny. That means thinking about reverse logistics the same way they would any other aspect of their supply chain, rather than viewing returns as an inevitable loss, and outsourcing them to third-party processors. Refocusing the way companies approach returns can boost revenues while simultaneously reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions.