Bed Bath & Beyond ordered to pay $1.4 million settlement for mishandling toxic, flammable materials

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - District Attorney Dan Dow announced Monday that a Ventura County Superior Court Judge ordered Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. to pay $1,498,750 as part of an environmental settlement. 

This decision was made following a civil enforcement lawsuit filed last month in Ventura County Superior Court claiming that more than 200 Bed Bath & Beyond stores throughout the state unlawfully handled, transported and disposed of batteries, electronic devices, ignitable liquids, aerosol products, cleaning agents, and other flammable, reactive, toxic, and corrosive materials.

The dangerous objects were reportedly left at local landfills which are not permitted to receive those types of waste. 

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with other district attorneys, city attorneys, and local environmental regulatory officials, conducted a series of undercover inspections of Bed Bath & Beyond store waste around the state. These inspections, and other investigation, revealed that Bed Bath & Beyond had sent regulated hazardous waste, including electronic items and batteries, from stores to local landfills throughout California.

When notified of the investigation, the district attorney's office said Bed Bath and Beyond took steps to cooperate and to dedicate additional resources towards environmental protection by improving its existing regulated-waste management program. 

However, under the final judgment, Bed Bath & Beyond must pay $1,327,500 in civil penalties and as partial reimbursement of investigation and prosecution costs, of which $38,100 will be paid to San Luis Obispo County for the work of the District Attorney’s Office and the San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health Division.  

The company will also pay an additional $171,250 to fund supplemental environmental projects that further environmental enforcement in California.

The retailer is now legally prohibited from future violations by law thanks to a permanent injunction issued by the court.

Bed Bath & Beyond also does business under the following business names: Cost Plus, buybuy BABY, Harmon, Harmon Face Values, World Market, and Cost Plus World Market stores.