Walmart Settles for $7.5 Million Over Illegal Disposal of Hazardous Waste
Retail giant dumped batteries, spray cans, bleach, pesticides and medical waste in municipal landfills throughout California
By: The Impending Bloom Project
Oct. 23, 2024
Walmart has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the state of California over illegal dumping of toxic and medical waste.
The settlement resolves allegations from 2021 the retail giant threw out batteries, spray cans, bleach, pesticides and medical waste from its more than 300 stores across the state into municipal landfills, mixing the items with regular trash instead of separating them as required by law.
“Walmart’s illegal disposal of hazardous and medical waste not only violated California laws, but, if left unchecked, posed a threat to human health and the environment,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Improper disposal of hazardous waste can cause fires or result in soil and water contamination, in addition to exposing people to potential respiratory problems.
According to the complaint, 1.4 million hazardous items were being sent to California’s landfills by Walmart each year. Every time a trash compactor truck traveled from a store to a landfill, it contained more than 200 hazardous items.
Walmart was well aware of the problem according to the documents — it conducted an internal study in 2016, and nearly every time it ordered a third-party waste audit between September 2014 and 2021, hazardous waste, medical waste or customer records with personal information were found where they shouldn't be.
The settlement requires Walmart not only to hire a third-party auditor to conduct three annual rounds of waste audits for the next four years, but to share the results with the state's attorney general’s office, the Department of Toxic Substances Control and the district attorneys involved in the settlement.
Not the first time
In 2004, California officials raised concerns with Walmart about its hazardous waste practices. At that time, the company had no program in place to manage toxic waste, and admittedly allowed employees to pour bleach and other products down the drain.
In 2010, the company agreed to pay a $25 million fine. Since then Walmart has instituted various Hazardous Waste Management programs and inspection protocols, yet at least until the lawsuit was filed in 2021, improper disposal practices continued.