Drive Sustainable Change

¹ Total annual online apparel sales

This helps us calculate your estimated footprint. This is your total annual online apparel sales. No footwear, accessories, or other categories should be included.

² Online apparel return rate

This helps us calculate your estimated footprint. This is your online apparel return rate. No footwear, accessories, or other categories should be included.

³ Total CO2 emissions

One way returns impact the environment is through the returns shipment process which due to shipping things back and forth creates unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions in the form of CO2. We measure CO2 in tons and lbs. For reference, using one gallon of gas is equivalent to 20 lbs of CO2 or .01 tons (8)

⁴ Total landfill waste

Another way returns impact the environment is through the number of returns ending up in landfill. It's estimated only 54% of packaging is recycled and five billion pounds of returned goods end up in landfills each year (9). We measure landfill waste in tons and lbs. For reference, two T-shirts weigh about one pound or .0005 tons. (10)

⁵ Trees planted equivalent

To help contextualize our calculations, we've quantified the carbon offsets associated with planting one tree. A mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange. (11) More trees planted = more CO2 reduced from the atmosphere.

⁶ T-shirts removed equivalent

To help contextualize our calculations, we've quantified the landfill waste associated with the removal of one t-shirt. A premium heavy-weight t-shirt weighs between 6-12oz, we used 8oz as our reference point. So, one shirt out of a landfill is 1/2 a pound, two shirts are one pound.

First, we evaluated over 15 sources to gain a deeper understanding of the returns landscape and environmental costs associated with them. From this, we centered our approach on four key reports to build our calculator.

1. Optoro's 2022 Impact Report, developed in consultation with Environmental Capital Group (12).

This report provided us with a baseline of Total US Return Statistics:

2. NRF's 2021 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry Report in consultation with Appriss Retail (13).

This report provided us with US online sales statistics:

3. Retail Dive's 2017 The Right Fit: How AI is Changing eCommerce Apparel Returns Report in conjunction with Rakuten (14).

This report provided us with US statistics regarding fit-related returns in the apparel industry.

4. Statista's 2021 Apparel, footwear, and accessories sales as a percentage of total retail e-commerce sales in the United States from 2017 to 2027 Report (15).

This report provided us with statistics regarding e-commerce apparel sales.

After we determined these to be reasonable (some reports cited higher/potentially inflated values) and accurate (peer-reviewed and/or done in conjunction with environmental/eCommerce/apparel specialists) we began to build our baseline statistics:

Then we determined a monetary "value" of $1 to correlate with landfill waste and CO2 emissions.

Then we determined the estimated landfill and carbon emission waste totals of online apparel fit-related returns

And, since we reference the use of "tons" in our findings, we use a simple conversion to calculate weight 2000lbs (v16) = 1 ton

Then we determined our impact on the industry using our average fit-return reduction rate range from 5% to 32% (v18). Note this range is dependent on the inputs from the user, the reduction rate increases proportionately to the apparel return rate (²) input by the user. Those proportions are as follows:

• 1-10% apparel return rate = 5% fit-return reduction rate improvement
• 10-15% apparel return rate = 10% fit-return reduction rate improvement
• 15-20% apparel return rate = 15% fit-return reduction rate improvement
• 20 - 25% apparel return rate = 20% fit-return reduction rate improvement
• 25% - 30% apparel return rate = 25% fit-return reduction rate improvement
• 30% and above apparel return rate = 32% fit-return reduction rate improvement

Then to better grasp our impact, we translated the landfill waste and carbon emissions to t-shirts removed and trees planted equivalents. As noted above, one tee shirt is approximately .5 lbs or 0.00015625 tons (v22). One tree reduces the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by 48 lbs or 0.024 tons (v23).

After these calculations, we built our calculator, shown above which uses the same baselines to calculate CO2 emissions and landfill waste for brands. These calculations are described below:

Brand Inputs: total annual online apparel sales = a | total online apparel return rate = b

From these inputs, we determine the "current state" or the amount of returned inventory due to fit = c = ((a*b) * v7)

Then total CO2 emissions = d = c * v13

Then total landfill waste = e = c * v12

Next (in the calculation, the calculator will show improvement before the future state) is the "future state" where we estimate the impact of Bold Metrics on the brand using the calculator:

Total CO2 emissions with Bold Metrics = f = d * v18

Total Landfill waste with Bold Metrics = g = e * v18

Last (in the calculation, the calculator will show improvement before the future state) is the "improvement" where we estimate the difference between the brand's current state - future state.

Decrease in Total CO2 emissions = h = d - f

Then Trees planted equivalent = i = h / v23

Then Decrease in Total landfill waste = j = e - g

Then T-shirts removed equivalent = g / v22

• Fit-Related Returns — Across our clients, our return rate reduction varies. We used 5%-32% as our average range, but do note that it may sometimes be larger, and sometimes smaller.
• Sources — Our calculations are reliant on the sources we've used. We assume the same assumptions our sources have made in their determinations to formulate our own.
• Timeliness — We strove to include the most timely and relevant sources in the development of the calculator. With the passage of time, some statistics may change. We've outlined the dates associated with our sources, more information can be found in our references section below.
• Waste — We understand there may be additional waste components involved in the returns process. This calculator is not designed to be a full encapsulation, merely a direction.

1. www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/
2. www.businessinsider.com/bracketing-online-shopping-downsides-explained-2021-11
3. www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/process-and-operations/us-bringing-it-back.pdf
4. www.cnbc.com/2019/01/10/growing-online-sales-means-more-returns-and-trash-for-landfills.html
5. hbswk.hbs.edu/item/can-fabric-waste-become-fashions-resource
6. www.retailbrew.com/stories/2022/12/12/returns-not-only-pose-financial-costs-but-also-environmental-ones
7. www.shopify.com/enterprise/ecommerce-returns
8. climatekids.nasa.gov/review/carbon/gasoline.html
9. www.fastcompany.com/90701492/how-businesses-can-fight-the-environmental-menace-of-free-returns
10. luckywholesale.net/blogs/news/how-much-does-a-shirt-weigh
11. www.eea.europa.eu/articles/forests-health-and-climate-change/key-facts/trees-help-tackle-climate-change
12. 4771362.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4771362/2022%20Impact%20Report/Optoro_2022%20Impact%20Report.pdf
13. cdn.nrf.com/sites/default/files/2022-01/Customer%20Returns%20in%20the%20Retail%20Industry%202021.pdf
14. cdn.thomasnet.com/ccp/30844890/271315.pdf
15. www.statista.com/forecasts/281594/share-of-apparel-and-accessories-sales-in-total-us-e-retail-sales

Special thanks to Allbirds, Trove, and Eileen Fisher. These brands and their sustainability pages, calculations, and approaches served as inspirations in the development of our calculator.