AI-generated response regarding e-commerce returns:
"Returns as a whole are a huge source of waste in the e-commerce industry, with some studies suggesting that in the United States alone, upward of 5 billion pounds of returned goods end up in landfills every year. A significant portion of those returns come from online retail—Amazon being one of the largest players.
Why so much waste? Many returned products (often low-priced or lower-quality items) are deemed unworthy of inspection or refurbishing because the handling and restocking can cost more than the item is worth. That calculation leads retailers to offload or destroy surplus goods rather than reintegrate them into the supply chain.
Meanwhile, e-commerce’s volume—especially in platforms known for massive product catalogs and fast delivery—means there’s a lot of “trial shopping” and impulse buying. This results in higher-than-usual return rates. When the returned items are low-quality to begin with, they’re even less likely to be resold, compounding the waste problem."
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