Recently, WeCarbon's China Partner Ms. Mia Zheng took part in the yehyehyeh Innovation Club's "Hao Ting" online chat room series, discussing "Return Policies and Environmental Responsibility" in today's e-commerce environment with guests from brand practice, platform operations research and climate communication.
In an age when almost everyone shops online, "seven-day no-questions-asked returns" and "free shipping / return-shipping insurance" have become the norm. But as Patagonia's idea of an "Earth usage fee" draws attention, the environmental cost hidden behind high return rates is coming into public view. From emissions in reverse logistics to packaging waste and the resources consumed in warehousing and re-processing, every return carries an overlooked carbon footprint. The guests discussed whether "paid returns" are simply a way of shifting costs or an important step towards responsible consumption, from both business and environmental perspectives.
Speaking from the perspective of ESG and value-chain carbon management, Ms. Zheng noted that consumers' sensitivity to return fees largely reflects the fact that the idea of "taking responsibility for the environment" is still taking shape in public awareness. Initiatives such as an "Earth usage fee" are essentially attempts to make long-ignored environmental externalities visible, so that the public can better understand the ecological cost behind their consumption.
She added that as Scope 3 emissions are gradually brought into corporate value-chain management, consumer-side responsibility is becoming an important part of corporate sustainability governance. While it will take time for such responsibility to become a legal obligation, exploring shared responsibility through fee mechanisms such as an "Earth usage fee" is becoming an important way to shift consumer behaviour. Brands can also reduce misunderstanding and trial-and-error before a purchase is made, through clearer product information, better content and digital tools, cutting the waste caused by unnecessary returns at the source.
Going forward, WeCarbon will continue to join discussions on topics close to everyday business and public life, bring ESG thinking into more areas of daily life, and use AI and digital technology to help more companies improve how they manage, calculate and coordinate Scope 3 emissions data across the value chain, promoting low-carbon practice in everyday consumption and business decisions.