The e-commerce return crisis is reaching a breaking point. Last year, a staggering 30% of all online purchases were returned, resulting in 5.8 billion pounds of waste in landfills. This environmental catastrophe is largely preventable through better product information.
The environmental cost is devastating:
- 30% of all online purchases returned in 2023
- 5.8 billion pounds of returns in landfills annually
- Unnecessary carbon emissions from double shipping
- Packaging waste from double packaging
- Chemical waste from destroyed returned products
We call on the European Commission to:
- Establish mandatory standards for product information quality in e-commerce
- Require transparency in return rates and environmental impact reporting
- Create incentives for businesses adopting technologies that improve product information accuracy
- Set clear guidelines for product description completeness across all e-commerce platforms
As experts in e-commerce product information management, we've seen how accurate product information can reduce return rates by up to 40%.
This isn't just an environmental issue – it's an economic one. Returns cost retailers €100 billion annually in Europe alone. Better product information benefits everyone: consumers make better choices, businesses save money, and our planet suffers less.
(Signing the petition only takes an email address and a name, and you can do so anonymously)
Every signature brings us closer to change:
- At 25,000 signatures, the European Commission must officially respond
- At 50,000 signatures, we qualify for a public hearing consideration
- At 100,000 signatures, a parliamentary committee must review our proposal
Social Media Hashtags: #StopEcommerceWaste #BetterProductInfo #SustainableEcommerce #ReduceReturns
November 4, 2024