What happens to the stuff you return to stores?

Typically about 8% of items purchased at a store will be returned; for ecommerce sites, that can be as much as 25% to 40%. And all the stuff that stores cannot easily resell will wind up in the secondary market, where one company's trash can become other people's treasure. Rita Braver visits liquidators who process and resell goods that are just as good as new, or even newer.

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[matthewj]

Give it to the shelters, the homeless, or even the schools! C'mon now

[annicks]

Trader Joe’s donates returned food that can be salvaged to local churches and organizations. Reduce waste

[mnannette]

Watch the dumpster diver channels. You’ll be surprised at what they find. Some stores destroy the goods with paint or cutting it up so it can’t be used or donated. Really sad. Needy folks could use it.

[christopherbonanno]

So if prices can be cut so low for products like this just goes to show people over pay for everything

[KandyPrince]

So disgusting how wasteful everyone is. Those who work in retail know how much gets destroyed and straight to the landfill also. 💯

[jennywu]

It's scary to see so much useless crap. Especially those kitchen gadgets and stuffed toys. How many do you really need?

[ophthodoc]

The landfill footage makes me sick to my stomach. So sad.

[thriftyshopper]

and dumpster divers trying to keep products out of the landfills get harassed by store employees and police.

[joewoodchuck]

This the first time I ever heard about this. I thought retailers just put returns back on the shelf, or in a designated area with clearance sale items, open box, plastic package ripped, etc.

[the.magic.catbus]

A lot of homeless folks can use all those pads, tampons, and diapers

[Bigricky]

That's why i never buy nothing full price in america.

[cfoster]

It ends up at TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Marshall's, and Ross.

[midnightmilkman]

2019 going into 2020..RECYCLE People RECYCLE..whats wrong with these people..create new mans junk is another mans treasure

[ruthiemay]

Why not donate to thrift stores instead of landfill??? Ridiculous!!!

[classicredwine]

This isn’t always the case. I worked for a major clothing retailer and when people return clothes we reattach the tags and hang it right back on the rack on the sales floor. Always wash your clothes before you wear them!

[carolhankins]

Why can't they donate the stuff to shelters, church's and thrift stores like Goodwill instead of dump sites?

[DD_MENEN]

I live in South Africa and the part where goods are being thrown in landfills really saddens me... what a world we live in, some have nothing and others have sooo much its too much even for a whole country to consume

[waterboxer]

I am not surprised at the volume of goods that eventually wind up in landfills. People are constantly bombarded by ads to buy unnecessary stuff. Ads are impossible to escape. Before pushing the buy button, wait a few minutes for the freshly planted urge to buy subsides. Better to have cash in the bank than more stuff.

[Alan.Endicott]

4:28 Four billion tons of unused goods? Are there no foreign markets that will take it. Give it away is better than throw it away, right?

[erichausersr.]

how about how much food is thrown away everyday here in America...
you'd be amazed just how much food chain super markets throw away...
and we pay for it.