Sustainable Returns: How Different Types of Returners Impact the Planet

When we talk about returns, we often focus on the business cost-but the environmental impact of online returns also significant. Reverse logistics can account for 25% of a fashion retailer’s total e-commerce carbon footprint if not managed correctly. With return rates reaching above 30% according to our research, every item sent back has a hidden footprint, from the carbon emissions of transport to the redeployment of unsellable goods. Understanding the different types of returners allows retailers to reduce costs and protect the planet. So lets delve in to the 7 return personas, their sustainability impact and what retailers can do to reduce the return rate. 

1. The Bracketer

The Issue:
The Bracketer orders multiple sizes, colours, or variations intending to keep just one. While this helps them find the right fit, it increases processing and restocking costs. Our survey found that 56% of shoppers who returned items ended up buying the same product in a different size or colour, highlighting the importance of size guides to reduce fashion returns. 

Sustainability Impact: 

Every item that is produced, sold, and shipped carries an environmental cost. When customers buy multiple sizes with the intention of returning some the impact multiplies. Returns require additional handling, cleaning, and repackaging, all of which use energy and resources. The British Fashion Council estimates that processing an online return can cost 55–75% of the item’s retail price. On top of that, there are the carbon emissions from reverse logistics and the extra packaging required for items that were never truly meant to stay with the customer. 

Retailer Actions:
To reduce this kind of returner, retailers can provide precise size guides, virtual fitting tools, and free alteration services to reduce bracketing while maintaining customer satisfaction.

2. The Impulse Buyer

The Issue:
Impulse buyers often make emotional purchases, only to regret them soon after checkout. These decisions are frequently triggered by flash sales or prompts like “spend £X for free shipping.” In a report by Institute of positive fashion, 69% of shoppers admitted to returning impulse bought items in the 3 months they were surveyed, with the trend being higher for males (73%), than women (66%). But behind each regretted purchase lies a cost: returns generate extra packaging waste, reverse logistics emissions, and resource-heavy processing. The problem escalates during major sales events like Black Friday, when high volumes of spontaneous orders mean an even greater environmental impact. 

Sustainability Impact: 

The biggest concern with impulse buying is that it encourages a disposable mindset and fuels overconsumption. When items are bought on a whim, they’re often seen as less valuable, making them more likely to be returned, discarded, or quickly replaced. This creates a cycle of frequent purchasing and waste that amplifies environmental impacts over time. 

Retailer Actions:
Retailers can use pre-purchase “cooling-off” prompts, display estimated delivery times, and incorporate sustainability messages at checkout to encourage more mindful buying.

3. The Informed Shopper

The Issue:
Informed Shoppers research carefully and make deliberate purchases. While their return rate is lower, returns often stem from quality issues or unmet expectations. In a survey recently conducted by ReBound, 70% of shoppers stated that they tried to get their purchase right and checked size guidelines before buying online.  

Sustainability Impact:
Returns from informed shoppers can highlight potential manufacturing or sizing issues, providing retailers with data to improve products and reduce future returns, ultimately lowering environmental impact over time. While there is still an environmental impact to these returners- it is low compared to some of the other personas. 

Retailer Actions:
Improve product photography, videos, and provide transparent reviews to help customers choose correctly the first time.

4. The High-Value Loyalist

The Issue:
High-Value Loyalists buy regularly and spend well but still occasionally return items. Over time, these small patterns can accumulate, particularly for premium goods with heavier packaging or longer shipping distances. 

Sustainability Impact:
Although High-Value Loyalists return fewer items, each return often has a larger footprint due to heavier packaging and premium materials. Processing these items can require specialist cleaning, repairs, or reconditioning, increasing energy and resource use. In some cases, it has been reported that unsellable luxury goods are destroyed for brand protection, adding to landfill waste and negating the resources used to produce them.  

Retailer Actions:
Offer personal shopping services, previews, or curated collections to reduce unnecessary returns while maintaining brand loyalty.

5. The Fraudster / Wardrober

The Issue:
Fraudsters and Wardrobers purchase with no intent to keep items, or will only wear them once before returning. These actions create operational headaches and inflate return costs. 

Sustainability Impact:
Products often need deep cleaning, reconditioning, or destruction, wasting resources and undermining circular business models. According to WRAP, extending the active life of a garment by just nine months can reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprint by roughly 20%. Highlighting the importance of offering circular business models, like rental, where possible.  

Retailer Actions:
Tighten returns policies, use product tagging, and educate consumers about environmental impacts. Circular models like clothing rental can also help mitigate waste.

6. The Try-Before-You-Buyer

The Issue:
This shopper uses formal try-on schemes or tests products at home before deciding. While beneficial for conversion, it increases the number of shipped items. 

Sustainability Impact:
Unlike standard returns, try-before-you-buy schemes build returns into the business model, meaning reverse logistics are almost guaranteed. That predictability comes with a heavier footprint: higher volumes of packaging, frequent courier journeys, and a near-constant cycle of repackaging and reprocessing. Because products are handled more, they’re also at greater risk of damage, scuffs, or hygiene concerns, making them harder to resell at full price. Some retailers liquidate these items at a loss, while others dispose of them entirely, adding to textile waste. Over time, habitual use of try-before-you-buy services fosters a mindset where the home replaces the fitting room, normalizing multiple shipments per purchase and amplifying environmental costs. 

Retailer Actions:
Provide local drop-off points, consolidate shipping, and offer detailed size/fit advice to reduce unnecessary shipments where possible.

7. The First-Time Returner

The Issue:
First-Time Returners are new to a brand and may return items due to size, colour, or quality mismatches. Frequent early returns can increase logistics costs and discourage long-term loyalty. 

Sustainability Impact:
While every return creates additional transport emissions and packaging waste, targeting these returners can reduce the likelihood of them returning again, meaning fewer wasted shipments and a smaller carbon footprint from the outset of the customer relationship. 

Retailer Actions:
Follow-up surveys, onboarding guidance, and tailored recommendations can improve first-time purchase accuracy and reduce returns.

Final Thoughts 

Every type of returner creates a ripple effect- affecting profit margins, carbon emissions, and resource use. Understanding these personas helps retailers design smarter, more sustainable returns strategies that benefit both business and the planet. 

From our research, 74% of shoppers care that their returns are handled in an environmentally friendly way, showing that sustainability-conscious behaviour is already a priority for consumers.