Sustainability
From Cost Center to ESG Asset: How Reverse Logistics Became a Sustainability Imperative
June 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Reverse Logistics Consulting
Cut return costs and get product back on the floor faster.
We partner with companies to design and optimize reverse logistics operations, cutting costs, recovering inventory value, and building systems that scale with your business.
Over a decade of military and Corporate America supply chain and logistics experience
Featured Diagnostic
The Returns Leak Audit
Find out how much margin your returns program is leaking, and exactly where. A fixed-fee diagnostic that benchmarks your returns operation, pinpoints the biggest sources of cost and value leakage, and leaves you with a prioritized 90-day roadmap.
Fixed feeCompleted in 2–3 weeksExecutive readout included
What the audit examines
- Policy exposure
- Return rate & cost benchmarking
- Reverse logistics flow
- Recovery leakage
- Reason-code & data gaps
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.
Meet the Founder
Eddie Jones
Eddie holds a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Arts in 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 companies, retail brands, and 3PLs access to the same strategic thinking large enterprises use to turn returns from a cost center into a competitive advantage, and a greener one.
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
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
Four 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 Arts in Reverse Logistics Management
Founder holds a Master of Arts in Reverse Logistics Management, earned from the only dedicated graduate program of its kind in the United States.
Customized for Your Business
No off-the-shelf playbooks. Every strategy is built around your industry, product, and operational constraints.
Vendor-Neutral Advice
We don't sell software, so our recommendations stay unbiased. We help you establish all aspects of the operation.
Fast, Low-Risk Start
Begin with a fixed-fee Returns Leak Audit: a defined scope, a clear price, and a prioritized roadmap you own, whether or not we keep working together.
Sustainability and ESG are woven into every engagement: carbon-per-return, landfill diversion, and circularity, the metrics your board is asking for.
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.