Whole Foods Improper Disposal Settlement

Did you know that a fairly large percentage of homeowners keep their old electronics for a very long time because they’re unsure how to dispose of them properly? Others dispose of them improperly assuming that the warnings about making sure that you correctly dispose of your electronics is just that: a warning with no penalty attached to it. One California company, however, have learned that there can be very costly penalties attached to improperly disposing of electronics and hazardous waste.

Improperly Disposing of Electronics

If you have electronics that you need to dispose of they have to be handled properly. Many take their old cell phones to their new cell provider and trade it in, and it is then the responsibility of the provider to properly dispose of the electronic device. Whole Foods Market California, along with WFM-WO and Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Food Markets, all owned by the same company, was found guilty of mishandling batteries, aerosol products, cleaning agents, ignitable liquids and electronic devices over a five year period.

Millions in Fines

The court found the company guilty of mishandling their waste and fined them $1.2 million in civil penalties. They are also required to train their employees how to handle hazardous and electronic waste as well as being required to properly dispose of any materials at the authorized facilities. This company, however, isn’t the first one to be fined for imporoper electronic waste. Cox Communications, a cable service company, agreed to pay $3.3 million four months prior due to the allegations that they mishandled e-scrap. It was also alleged that Cox Communications discarded records of their customers without ensuring that their private information was illegible as well.

Ensuring that your electronic devices are properly recycled of is not only a good thing to do, it’s the law.