The Fashion Industry’s Return Problem: How We’re Giving “Unwanted” Clothes a Second Chance

In the UK alone, shoppers who frequently return goods bought online send back £1,400 per person a year, amounting to a whopping £6.6 billion, a UK report has found. And with a quarter or more of all clothing purchased online being returned, the clothes are piling up.

Which would be all well and good if they could be shipped back, dusted off, and put back on the shelves, ready for someone to snap them up, but most of the time, it’s a little bit trickier than that.

The truth is, a lot of these clothes end up being destroyed. According to the European Environment Agency, as much as 43% of returned clothing ends up being incinerated or sent to landfill. And that doesn’t account for the things that are returned but end up not being sold, which they estimate to be a further 21%.

Basically, it’s a big problem.

And that’s not even taking into account all the additional transportation, packaging, and handling (aka additional carbon emissions) that returns create. This is not good news for brands, and it’s not good news for the planet either.

So that’s why we had to get involved. We’re committed to providing sustainable solutions for fashion returns. Our mission is to give all of these clothes a second chance, so brands don’t lose out on money, people don’t lose out on good clothes, and the planet doesn’t end up being impacted with excess waste that, let’s face it, really didn’t need to happen.

Why Fashion Returns Are a Big Problem

In theory, fashion returns shouldn’t be as big a problem as they are, but unfortunately, that’s not how it plays out.

The return process is fraught with environmental and logistical challenges. It was basically never meant to deal with so many returns, and the systems haven’t caught up with how to handle them.

There are a few different factors that prevent returned items from being resold:

Hygiene Concerns: Items that have been worn or tried on may not meet hygiene standards for resale.

Damage: Clothing returned with stains, tears, or other damage often can’t be sold as new.

Overstock: Excess inventory and fast-changing fashion trends can render returned items obsolete before they can be resold.

Creased & Crumpled: Some companies aren’t equipped to handle clothes that don’t look brand new anymore, and it’s not cost-effective enough to steam them and make them look new again.

Late Returns: If you’re slow to return something, it can sometimes end up being too late for the company to put it back on sale, which means it can end up in storage, or as waste.

The environmental impact of returns is a big one. It involves a lot of carbon emissions, plus these perfectly good (or sometimes almost-perfectly good) clothes are ending up in landfill.

For an industry that already has a substantial environmental impact, it’s about time something was done to sort the returns problem out.

Where Do Returned Clothes Usually Go?

I know, we’re all thinking that when we return something, it’ll probably be restocked or resold. But the reality can often be far less sustainable.

Resale on the Brand Website

The best-case scenario for customer returns is that they get resold on the company’s website or in-store, and this is definitely a possibility, especially if the thing you’re returning is in pristine condition.

Resale with a Platform like Reskinned

For a lot of reasons, a brand might not be able to resell something on their website, which is where we come in. We’ll take clothes that aren’t in absolutely pristine condition, and we’ll use our refurbishing techniques to sell them on our brand eBay stores or via our website. But more on that later.

Landfill and Incineration

In the UK, a significant number of returned fashion items never make it back to the sales floor. Instead, they’re sent to landfill or incinerated. According to a 2023 study by the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion, around 23 million returned fashion items met this fate in just one year (theindustry.fashion). In 2022 alone, this process generated 750,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

That’s a staggering amount of valuable material wasted, and a major blow to the environment. Incineration releases toxic emissions into the air, while clothes dumped in landfill can take decades to break down, leaching greenhouse gases and microplastics into the earth as they do.

Charity Shops and Textile Recycling

Some returned clothes end up being donated to charity shops, giving them a chance at a second life. You might have noticed racks of a particular high street brand - tags still attached - lining your local charity shop. More often than not, these are customer returns or brand deadstock that couldn’t be sold online or in-store.

While this can be a positive outcome in terms of extending the garment’s life, it typically means the brand loses the money it originally spent on the item. And if those pieces don’t sell, they’re often passed on to textile processors. That’s where brand-new clothing is broken down and repurposed into things like insulation or industrial cloths, a practical use, don’t get us wrong, but a frustrating waste of perfectly wearable fashion.

Exporting Abroad

A considerable volume of used clothing from the UK is exported to countries across Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe. In some cases, these exports are handled sustainably, offering people access to quality garments at affordable prices. But in many instances, the clothes are sent to places that don’t want, or can’t process them, leading to even more waste and landfill.

This is especially true for low-quality fast fashion. If an item is poorly made and cheaply produced, there’s a good chance it won’t be wanted anywhere, regardless of the price. On the other hand, high-quality pieces that can’t be resold in the UK may still find a second life abroad, offering a more sustainable alternative to destruction or disposal.

Return Fraud: A Growing Concern

There are plenty of reasons we return clothes we buy, especially online. Sometimes they don’t fit, don’t look the way we expected, or we realise we were a little too quick to hit ‘buy’ after payday.

And with free next day delivery from many of our favourite brands, the impulse shop can be quicker than ever… so quick that we don’t have quite enough time to process that actually, it might not have been such a good idea to buy that bright pink pair of trousers that won’t go with anything after all.

We don’t blame you. Even the most careful and meticulous online shopper gets it wrong sometimes. And for many of us, the consequences of returning items simply weren’t on our radar, it felt like a reasonable part of the process.

But for some shoppers, things have started to spiral, and it’s retailers and the planet, paying the price. A number of new terms have emerged to describe the rising trends in shopping and returning. Let’s break them down.

“Bracketing”

It’s frustrating when you order something in your size, only to realise you probably needed to size up, or that it might have fit better if it were just a smidge smaller. Then you’re stuck deciding whether it’s worth the hassle of returning it and ordering another size.

So, it seems like a no-brainer to order multiple sizes, try them all on, and keep the one that fits best - right? This practice is called bracketing, and according to recent figures, 46% of UK consumers do it: buying multiple versions of an item with the intention of returning most of them.

But this habit significantly increases the volume of returns going to waste. Instead, try reading the measurements carefully and making the most informed choice about your size, or, when possible, try things on in person.

“Wardrobing”

It might feel like you’ve hacked the system when you buy a dress for a special occasion, tuck the tag discreetly into the back, and package it back up the next morning, complete with a hopeful spritz of perfume and a tick in the “I changed my mind” box on the return form.

But while it may feel clever, these clothes are almost always unsellable by the time they’re returned.

If you know you’re only going to wear something once, consider borrowing from a friend, renting an outfit, or shopping pre-loved, you’ll often find designer or high-quality pieces at a fraction of the original price. It’s a more sustainable way to dress for that one-night-only moment, without creating unnecessary waste.

Reskinned's Circular Approach

At Reskinned, we refuse to accept that so many returns should end up as waste. It didn’t sit right with us, so we created a solution that helps brands handle returns without losing profit or getting stuck with unsellable stock.

We built a system that works for everyone. We take returned clothes, shoes, and accessories that can’t be resold on a brand’s site, for any reason, and give them a second chance.

Whatever condition they’re in, they’re welcome at our warehouse. There, we assess each item for damage and quality, and determine the best next step, for the brand, the customer, and most importantly, the planet.

Resale

Anything in good condition is ready to be resold via a brand’s eBay partner store or the Reskinned website. We ozone-clean every item to remove any trace of odour, just in case, before offering you these practically brand-new pieces at up to 60% off the original RRP, sometimes even more.

Repair

Items that aren’t in perfect shape go straight to our incredible in-house repair team. They take care of any minor defects, professionally restoring each piece so it’s ready for a second life.

Recycling

Occasionally, we receive returns that are beyond repair. While it’s rare, when it happens, we recycle the item responsibly, making sure all the materials are reused and absolutely nothing goes to waste.

Why it’s Good for Brands, Shoppers, and the Planet

We’re proud to say our system is thoughtfully designed to benefit everyone: brands, shoppers, and most importantly, the planet. That means never compromising on any one part of the equation (which definitely took some figuring out!).

For Brands

When brands partner with Reskinned, they can send us their returned or unsellable stock, and we’ll turn it into profit for them. Clothing and accessories that would have otherwise gone to waste, costing the brand money, are cleaned, repaired, and resold, helping reduce their financial losses.

As well as saving money, and more importantly, it’s a significantly more sustainable solution than most return pathways. We ensure nothing goes to landfill, helping brands minimise waste, meet environmental regulations, and stay true to their sustainability commitments.

For Shoppers

We know there are plenty of people who’d love to buy pieces from their favourite brands at a fraction of the price, and feel great about supporting those brands in their sustainability journey. Shopping through Reskinned gives you access to high street fashion at discounted prices, lets you find sold-out or missed-out pieces, and allows you to shop in a way that’s truly sustainable.

Our rigorous quality control means you can shop with the confidence of buying something brand new, but with the conscience of buying secondhand.

For the Planet

If our brands and customers are happy, that’s already a win, but for us, the most important thing is protecting the planet. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. When we partner with brands, we give them the tools to manage their returns responsibly, so nothing ends up in landfill or incineration.

That means significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced environmental harm, and conservation of valuable resources. Every item bought through Reskinned keeps good clothes in circulation and out of the waste stream, saving you from needing to buy something brand new.

We’re refining the lifecycle of fashion and making it easy for brands to do the right thing. It’s a complicated process, but with a partner like us, sustainability becomes simple.

How You Can Be Part of the Solution

Now that you know the impact customer returns can have, you’re probably wondering, what can I do about it?

Here are a few simple ways to reduce your impact:

Shop Consciously
Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether you truly need the item, and whether it fits your style and values. Slowing down helps prevent impulse buys (and returns).

Check the Sizing
Use size charts, read reviews, and get out the measuring tape. Don’t rely on guesswork, taking a little extra time upfront means you're more likely to get the perfect fit the first time.

Choose Pre-Loved
Shopping pre-loved gives garments a second life. When you shop through Reskinned, you’re not just avoiding contributing to the returns problem, you’re helping someone else’s return find a happy new home.

Use Takeback Programmes
Try a takeback scheme like ours for clothes that are past their return window. You’ll get money off something new and the peace of mind that your old clothes won’t go to waste, they’ll be resold, repaired, or responsibly recycled.

Ready to make a difference?

Shop our collection

Learn about our takeback programme

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Let’s create a circular fashion future together, shall we?