Every fifth online clothing purchase is returned in Sweden

More than every fifth of clothes purchased online is returned, a new study in Sweden has found.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg believe that the sheer amount of clothing that is being returned increases carbon emissions and has a negative impact on the environment, Swedish Television (SVT) reported on Sunday.

Although 22 percent of all online clothing purchase is returned, consumers have very little understanding of the process and its impact on the environment, the study said.

According to SVT, it is not uncommon for packages from Swedish retailers to be forwarded to Poland or even Asia for processing. There, the garment is checked and repackaged before being sent back to the retailer in Sweden for resale.

"When the customer returns the item they often think it is a very simple process but what we can see is that, in many cases, the clothes take a very long route," Michael Browne, professor of Industrial and Financial Management & Logistics and one of the authors of the study, told SVT.

There are some simple changes that the fashion industry could make to alleviate the problem. Essentially, e-commerce customers have a tendency to order more clothing than they plan to keep. Uncertainties about fit, size and color only exacerbate this issue.

Michael Brown told SVT that better information about garments could be key to reducing the number of returns. "How the images look on the webpage is very important. The color, material and shape of the pictures need to be consistent with reality and better size guides are needed."