Key figures on the impact of retail returns in the U.S. 2019-2022
Between 2020 and 2021, the amount of returned merchandise ending up in landfills almost doubled in the United States. This figure hit 4.34 million tons, up from the previous year when some 2.61 million tons were thrown away. Similarly, greenhouse gas emissions also increased from transporting returns, reaching 27 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021. As of 2022, both figures slightly declined, with carbon emissions not going over 24 million metric tons CO2.
