Stop E-commerce Waste: Accurate Product Descriptions to Reduce Returns

​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.

Sign this petition to support mandatory standards for e-commerce product information and help create a more sustainable future for online shopping.

(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