T.J. Maxx, Marshalls parent company to pay more than $2M for hazardous waste violations

The Massachusetts-based company that operates T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods has been ordered to pay more than $2 million for the unlawful disposal of hazardous waste, reports KTVU.

The company, TJX, owns approximately 340 retail stores in California, ten of which are located in Alameda County. Between 2016 and 2021, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (DA) says TJX companies improperly disposed of hazardous waste that ended up in municipal solid waste landfills.

KTVU reports these landfills were not authorized to accept hazardous waste, some of which included aerosol cans, batteries, electronic devices and cleaning agents. California law requires hazardous waste generated at retail businesses to be labeled and disposed of in separate containers to ensure incompatible wastes don’t mix.

TJX has been ordered to pay roughly $1.8 million in civil penalties, $300,000 in supplemental environmental projects and $250,000 in reimbursement of investigative and enforcement costs as part of the stipulated judgment.

The company is also required to hire compliance employees to oversee its hazardous waste compliance program, as well as to perform audits to ensure hazardous waste is properly disposed of in its California stores.

According to the DA, this is the second instance that TJX has mismanaged hazardous waste in the state. In September 2014, KTVU reports similar allegations were resolved, and TJX paid $2,777,500 in civil penalties and costs.

“At TJX, we are working on a number of programs to better manage the waste materials resulting from our operations, and we have made a significant investment in time, processes, and resources to strengthen our regulated waste disposal program,” says a spokesperson for the company in response to the judgment. “We look forward to cooperating with the State of California moving forward.”