Walmart will pay $7.5 million to resolve charges that it illegally disposed of hazardous and medical waste from its facilities into California’s municipal landfills.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement on Tuesday following more than 70 audits by authorities of waste that the US’s biggest retailer sent to landfills between 2015 and 2021.
Bonta said the audits found thousands of containers of toxic aerosols and liquid wastes including spray paints, rust removers, bleach, pesticides and medical waste such as over-the-counter drugs.
He also said that Walmart regularly failed to protect customers’ personal identifying information by disposing of customer records without first making the information impossible to read.
Without admitting wrongdoing, the Arkansas-based retailer agreed to pay a $4.3 million civil fine, plus $3.2 million to cover legal costs.
It also agreed to hire an independent auditor to conduct waste audits at its California facilities over the next four years, and to improve its current hazardous waste programmes when necessary or to comply with changes in the law.
Walmart said in a statement it was pleased that the settlement recognised how it shared California’s goal of protecting the environment and residents’ health and safety.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit that California filed in February 2022, and requires court approval.
Walmart has 309 stores – including Sam’s Clubs – in California, according to its website.
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