Some 3 million packages are returned each year and it's hurting the environment

Studies show the return process creates at least 14 tons of CO2 emissions

Experts found more than 4 billion pounds of unwanted items end up in landfills

This is a result of ordering more colors and sizes in order to find the perfect fit

More than three million packages are returned every year and experts warn these unwanted items may be hurting the environment.

Studies have found that more than four billion pounds of undesired goods end up in landfills and 14 tons of CO2 is released into the atmosphere as part of the return process.

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The recent statistics stem from a new phenomenon called 'the return culture' – consumers are now ordering items in multiple sizes and colors in order to find the perfect fit, which results in a guaranteed return.

More than three million packages are returned every year, but a majority of them come from just the month of December.

With the holidays just around the corner, UPS is predicting over one million packages will be returned each day throughout the month December, as first reported on by EuroNews.

And returns are predicted to hit 1.9 million just on January 2.

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Studies have found that more than four billion pounds of undesired goods end up in landfills and 14 tons of CO2 is released into the atmosphere as part of the return process

This is a 26 percent increase from 2018, which is a sign of how much people have opted to do online shopping for the holidays instead of making in-store purchases.

Sharon Cullinane, professor of sustainable logistics, and Michael Browne, said in a statement last year:

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'First of all, customers need to understand how much returns affect the environment and behave more responsibly.''Secondly, retailers can do a number of things to handle returns more efficiently. They also have a responsibility to not encourage consumers to return items.

'Thirdly, carriers have to both improve their efficiency and switch to warehouses and transports with less impact on the environment.'

More than three million packages are returned every year, but a majority of them come from just the month of December. Amazon's CEO said its 1-day shipping will cut down on its carbon footprint, experts say it requires more energy and generates more emissions

MIT researchers have mentioned in the past that it can be more environmentally friendly to order goods online than driving to a physical store – however this was prior to the innovation of fast shipment.

Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos believes his company's 1-day shipping will cut down on its carbon footprint, experts say it requires more energy and generates more emissions – the e-commerce giant's emissions increased 6 percent in 2018 over a 2015 baseline.

Related Articles Compulsive online shopping should be recognised as a mental disorder in its own right, psychologists say

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Crystal Lassiter, UPS senior director of Global Sustainability & Environmental Affairs, wrote in a report 'We're driving more miles, using more energy, and generating more emissions in response to market demands and to serve the growing supply chain needs of our customers.'