American outdoor apparel brand Patagonia is facing criticism online after introducing an earth usage fee on online orders in China.
The fee, which applies only to purchases made through Patagonia's store on Tmall, a premium online marketplace operated by Alibaba, aims to mitigate the environmental impact of shipping.
According to the company, during last year's Double 11 shopping festival, its Tmall store shipped 16,179 packages, of which 11,277 were returned, resulting in nearly 200 tonnes of carbon emissions from deliveries and an additional 40 tonnes from returns.
As part of its Earth Month campaign in April, the brand introduced the earth usage fee, charging 15 yuan (around $2) for the first item and 5 yuan for each additional product in an order.
Customers who keep their purchases will receive a refund of the fee, but if items are returned for reasons unrelated to quality, the fee will not be refunded, and customers will also have to bear return shipping costs.
Patagonia said the funds collected will be donated to 1% for the Planet, a global environmental initiative it has been associated with since 1985.
However, the move has sparked criticism on Chinese social media platforms, with many users arguing that brands should focus on improving product representation instead of passing responsibility to customers.
