TED@UPS
Aparna Mehta: Where do your online returns go?
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Do you ever order clothes online in different sizes and colors, just to try them on and then send back what doesn't work? Aparna Mehta used to do this all time, until she one day asked herself: Where do all these returned clothes go? In an eye-opening talk, she reveals the unseen world of "free" online returns -- which, instead of ending up back on the shelf, are sent to landfills by the billions of pounds each year -- and shares a plan to help put an end to this growing environmental catastrophe.
Aparna Mehta - Global supply chain leader
UPS's Aparna Mehta works with the top-tier retail customers to develop innovative, profitable solutions that enhance customer experiences. Full bio
UPS's Aparna Mehta works with the top-tier retail customers to develop innovative, profitable solutions that enhance customer experiences. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Hi. My name is Aparna.
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I am a shopaholic --
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(Laughter)
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and I'm addicted to online returns.
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(Laughter)
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Well, at least I was.
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At one time, I had two or three
packages of clothing delivered to me
packages of clothing delivered to me
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every other day.
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I would intentionally buy the same item
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in a couple different sizes
and many colors,
and many colors,
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because I did not know
what I really wanted.
what I really wanted.
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So I overordered, I tried things on,
and then I sent what didn't work back.
and then I sent what didn't work back.
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Once my daughter was watching me
return some of those packages back,
return some of those packages back,
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and she said, "Mom,
I think you have a problem."
I think you have a problem."
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(Laughter)
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I didn't think so.
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I mean, it's free shipping
and free returns, right?
and free returns, right?
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01:02
(Laughter)
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I didn't even think twice about it,
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until I heard a statistic
at work that shocked me.
at work that shocked me.
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You see, I'm a global solutions
director for top-tier retail,
director for top-tier retail,
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and we were in a meeting
with one of my largest customers,
with one of my largest customers,
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discussing how to streamline costs.
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One of their biggest concerns
was managing returns.
was managing returns.
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Just this past holiday season alone,
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they had 7.5 million pieces
of clothing returned to them.
of clothing returned to them.
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I could not stop thinking about it.
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What happens to all
these returned clothes?
these returned clothes?
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So I came home and researched.
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And I learned that every year,
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four billion pounds of returned clothing
ends up in the landfill.
ends up in the landfill.
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That's like every resident in the US
did a load of laundry last night
did a load of laundry last night
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and decided to throw it
in the trash today.
in the trash today.
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I was horrified.
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I'm like, "Of all people,
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I should be able to help prevent this."
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(Laughter)
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My job is to find solutions
to logistical issues like these --
to logistical issues like these --
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not create them.
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So this issue became very personal to me.
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I said, "You know what?
We have to solve this."
We have to solve this."
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And we can, with some of the existing
systems we already have in place.
systems we already have in place.
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And then I started to wonder:
How did we get here?
How did we get here?
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I mean, it was only like six years ago
when a study recommended
when a study recommended
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that offering free online returns
would drive customers to spend more.
would drive customers to spend more.
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We started seeing companies
offering free online returns
offering free online returns
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to drive more sales
and provide a better experience.
and provide a better experience.
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What we didn't realize
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is that this would lead to more items
being returned as well.
being returned as well.
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In the US, companies lost
$351 billion in sales
$351 billion in sales
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in 2017 alone.
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Retailers are scrambling
to recover their losses.
to recover their losses.
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They try to place that returned item
online to be sold again,
online to be sold again,
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or they'll sell it to a discount partner
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or a liquidator.
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Basically, if companies cannot find
a place for this item
a place for this item
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quickly and economically,
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its place becomes the trash.
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Suddenly, I felt very guilty
for being that shopper,
for being that shopper,
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somebody who contributes to this.
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Who would have thought
my innocent shopping behavior
my innocent shopping behavior
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would be hurting not only me,
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but our planet as well?
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And as I thought about what to do,
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I kept thinking:
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Why does the item have to be returned
to the retailer in the first place?
to the retailer in the first place?
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What if there was another way,
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a win-win for everyone?
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What if when a person
is trying to return something,
is trying to return something,
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it could go to the next
shopper who wants it,
shopper who wants it,
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and not the retailer?
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What if, instead of a return,
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they could do what I call a "green turn"?
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Consumers could use an app
to take pictures of the item
to take pictures of the item
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and verify the condition
while returning it.
while returning it.
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Artificial intelligence systems could then
sort these clothes by condition --
sort these clothes by condition --
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mint condition or slightly used --
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and direct it to the next
appropriate person.
appropriate person.
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Mint-condition clothes could
automatically go to the next buyer,
automatically go to the next buyer,
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while slightly used clothes
could be marked down
could be marked down
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and offered online again.
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The retailer can decide the business rules
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on the number of times
a particular item can be resold.
a particular item can be resold.
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All that the consumer would need to do
is obtain a mobile code,
is obtain a mobile code,
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take it to the nearest shipping place
to be packed and shipped,
to be packed and shipped,
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and off it goes from
one buyer to the next,
one buyer to the next,
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not the landfill.
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Now you will ask,
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"Would people really
go through all this trouble?"
go through all this trouble?"
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I think they would if they had incentives,
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like loyalty points or cash back.
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Let's call it "green cash."
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There would be a whole
new opportunity to make money
new opportunity to make money
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from this new customer base
looking to buy these returns.
looking to buy these returns.
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This system would make
a fun thing like shopping
a fun thing like shopping
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a spiritual experience
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that helps save our planet.
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(Applause)
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This is doable
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and would probably take six months
to weave some of our existing systems
to weave some of our existing systems
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and run a pilot.
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Even before any of these
logistical systems are in place,
logistical systems are in place,
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each of us shoppers can act now,
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if every single adult in the US
made a few small changes
made a few small changes
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to our shopping behavior.
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Take the extra time
to research and think --
to research and think --
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Do I really need this item?
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No: Do I really want this item? --
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before making a purchase.
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And if every one of us adults in the US
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returned five less items this year,
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we would keep 240 million pounds
of clothes out of the landfill.
of clothes out of the landfill.
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Six percent reduction, just like that.
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This environmental problem
that we have created
that we have created
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is not thousands of years away;
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it's happening today,
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and must stop now to prevent growing
landfills across the globe.
landfills across the globe.
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I want to leave my daughter
and my daughter's daughter
and my daughter's daughter
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a better and cleaner place
than I found it,
than I found it,
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so I have not only stopped overordering,
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I recycle religiously as well.
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And you can, too. It's not difficult.
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Before we fill our shopping carts
and our landfills
and our landfills
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with extra items that we don't want,
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let's pause next time
we are shopping online
we are shopping online
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and think twice about what we all
hopefully really do want:
hopefully really do want:
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a beautiful Earth to call home.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aparna Mehta - Global supply chain leaderUPS's Aparna Mehta works with the top-tier retail customers to develop innovative, profitable solutions that enhance customer experiences.
Why you should listen
The exponential rise of e-commerce has changed the way we shop and driven retailers to offer things like "hassle-free" returns policy, to keep up with customer expectations. But what's the true cost of these returns to our planet? This was a life-changing question for Aparna Mehta, who went from being a serial returner of online purchases to finding a solution to mitigate returns.
As a Global Solutions Director at UPS, Mehta is skilled at assessing business processes to develop innovative solutions that are profitable and enhance customer experiences. She has been engaged with inspiring teams to peak performance and develop future leaders for more than two decades. She holds two master's degrees: an MBA and a master's in applied computer science from Illinois State University. In her personal time, she's on the leadership team for Ellevate, a professional networking group for women aimed at reducing the wage gap.
Aparna Mehta | Speaker | TED.com