Do you usually order several different sizes of clothes to be able to try on at home if you shop online? Then you should be aware that the goods you return are often thrown in the landfill, according to a study from Lund University. In the study, the researchers looked primarily at clothing and electronics.
– Everything we send back is of course not thrown away. But there is a risk that a lot will be thrown away. The biggest reason for that is that the goods are relatively expensive, while the labor required to take care of them, logistics and people who need to work with it is expensive, says Carl Dalhammar, docent.
It is estimated that clothes and electronics worth around SEK 200 billion are destroyed in Europe every year. According to Carl Dalhammar, the EU is preparing a bill that should lead to better control of how much is thrown away, since the figures are only estimates so far.
– There must be an opportunity to set requirements within laws to prohibit throwing away new products, he says.
How should we think as consumers? Watch Carl Dahlhammar answer the question in the player above.