Meagan Knowlton Explains ESG Challenges in the Reverse Supply Chain

In this episode, Kaitlyn Allen talks with Meagan Knowlton, Director of Sustainability at Optoro, a returns technology company based in Washington, DC. Meagan leads initiatives that enable retailers and brands to build circular business models and reduce waste and emissions in the reverse supply chain. Prior to Optoro, she managed sustainability programs in the Coca-Cola bottling system, focusing on water, energy, and waste in manufacturing and logistics. Meagan holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Tulane University.  What is a Reverse Supply Chain, you may ask? In the context of this episode, listen as Kaitlyn and Meagan discuss merchandise returns in the retail industry. As consumers, we are often concerned with returns from the perspective of a company’s policy and the number of days we have to return a purchase. Many of us do not consider the environmental concern our returns are causing, to the tune of 760 billion dollars’ worth of returns in the US in 2021. Retailers are still learning the most effective ways to process returns without stretching the limits of human capital and in the hopes of disrupting the new merchandise to landfill pipeline.  Learn measures that companies are taking to process returns with sustainability in mind and discover how consumers can play a significant role in the solutions. The data and information shared in this episode may cause you to take a hard look at your purchasing and gift-giving habits to better align them with your ESG perspectives. Resource Boosts include: Optoro www.optoro.com MendIt www.mendit.app Bulq – www.bulq.com   Subscribe to ESG Decoded, where you consume your podcasts and connect via social media to share your feedback and topic suggestions. Enjoy this episode!