A Study of Companies' Business Responses to Apparel E-commerce's Environmental Impact

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2016-11-09
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Bertram, Rose
Chi, Ting
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International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference Proceedings
Iowa State University Conferences and Symposia

The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.

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E-commerce is an innovation in the retail industry that has grown exponentially since it first began, and continues to expand its influence and capabilities globally. The effects of e-commerce on the environment are complicated and can be difficult to measure, because it reduces emissions in some areas yet increases emissions in other areas. Although the environmental effects of e-commerce have drawn attention in recent years, our understanding on this issue is still limited. Using a content analysis based qualitative method, this research analyzed prior studies regarding e-commerce with a focus on the main elements of the supply chain where e-tailing and traditional retailing differ. These four areas analyzed are packaging, transportation, returns, and disposal. The exemplary companies' business responses to apparel e-commerce's environmental impact in these four areas were discussed. The findings imply that there are ways that companies can continue to improve their sustainability.

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