The verb return is used in past participle, since the verb is regular you can not notice the chance of the verb, Return Returned Returned, but you can't use "was + a verb in past" it doesn't make sense, you can't say "The food was ate" but you can say "the food was eaten", so, it is not in past but in past participle. Since the verb is regular is hard to notice, because it doesn't change like other verbs, Break, Run, etc.
I don't know if this answers your question, I hope it helps.