Sustainability
From Cost Center to ESG Asset: How Reverse Logistics Became a Sustainability Imperative
June 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Reverse Logistics ConsultingTurn Returns
Turn Returns
Into Results.
We partner with companies to design and optimize reverse logistics operations, cutting costs, recovering inventory value, and building systems that scale with your business.
20+ Years Combined Fortune 500 & Military Supply Chain Experience
What Vertistics Helps You Improve
Turn the reverse flow into measurable value.
We improve the policies, processes, data, and disposition decisions that determine what each return costs and how much value your business recovers.
Protect Margin
Find unnecessary costs, operational delays, and policy leakage.
Recover More Value
Route inventory faster to restock, resale, refurbishment, or liquidation.
Improve Customer Confidence
Create a returns experience that supports conversion and repeat purchases.
Platform agnostic. Built around the systems, partners, and constraints you already have.
The Returns Problem
Most businesses have no dedicated strategy for reverse logistics.
Vertistics exists to change that, turning a leaking cost center into measurable recovery and competitive advantage.
$890B
Lost annually to product returns in the U.S.
20-30%
Average apparel e-commerce return rate
8-15%
Of total revenue lost to reverse logistics
Meet the Founder
Eddie Jones
Eddie holds a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Reverse Logistics Management from the only program of its kind in the U.S., and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He has spent over a decade applying that expertise inside Fortune 500 supply chains and military logistics operations.
He founded Vertistics to give e-commerce and retail brands access to the same strategic thinking large enterprises use to turn returns from a cost center into a competitive advantage.
What the Data Shows
The reverse flow is where value quietly disappears.
$644B
in returned merchandise ends up in landfill or liquidation each year.
, Optoro / NRF, 2024
19.3%
of all online sales are returned, nearly 1 in 5 orders.
, NRF, 2025
66%
of consumers check a return policy before purchase.
, Narvar, 2024
9%
of all returns are fraudulent, $76.5B in losses.
, NRF / Forbes, 2025
79%
of shoppers abandon a purchase over a poor return policy.
, DHL, 2026
35%
of retailers can actually track a return end-to-end.
, Incisiv, 2023
Free White Paper
The Returns Imperative
Returns influence whether a shopper buys, how much profit remains after the sale, and whether that customer comes back. Our white paper shows why returns deserve the same deliberate design as forward fulfillment, and the five elements of a program that protects margin and builds customer confidence.
How We Work Together
View all engagement models →Four Ways to Engage
Project-Based
Consulting
A defined problem. A built solution. A clear output you own.
Ongoing Engagement
Advisory & Fractional Leadership
Strategic advisory when you need a sounding board. Fractional leadership when you need someone embedded and accountable.
Project or Advisory
Crisis Management
When a recall, surge, or disruption hits, we mobilize fast and bring order to the reverse flow under pressure.
Fixed-Fee Diagnostic
Returns Leak Audit
A focused diagnostic that identifies your biggest sources of returns cost and value leakage, benchmarks your program, and leaves you with a prioritized roadmap.
Why Vertistics
Six reasons clients choose us.
Reverse logistics is a niche discipline. Most consultants treat it as an afterthought. Vertistics was built around it from day one.
Master of Reverse Logistics Management
Founder holds a Master of Reverse Logistics Management, earned from the only dedicated graduate program of its kind in the United States.
AI-Augmented Decision Making
Behavioral scoring for fraud, disposition modeling to maximize recovery, and predictive return-volume forecasts.
Measurable Cost Reduction
Every engagement is built around quantifiable outcomes and clear KPIs to track progress.
Sustainability, ESG & Value Recovery
Carbon-per-return, landfill diversion, Scope 3 reduction, and circularity, the metrics your board is asking for.
Compliance & Risk Expertise
Environmental regulations, product safety, and data security on returned electronics, fully covered.
Customized for Your Business
No off-the-shelf playbooks. Every strategy is built around your industry, product, and operational constraints.
Insights
All articles →Latest from the Vertistics Blog
Policy
Tariffs, De Minimis, and the Hidden Returns Crisis Hitting DTC Brands in 2026
April 3, 2026 · 5 min read
Technology
How AI Is Reshaping Reverse Logistics, and What It Means for Your Operation
April 3, 2026 · 6 min read
Ready to Transform Your Returns?
Turn your returns problem into a sustainability story you can report on.
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Vertistics and discover exactly how much value is waiting to be recovered in your reverse supply chain.
73%
Landfill diversion possible
40%
Scope 3 reduction potential
$890B
Lost to returns yearly