Sephora, shoppers’ go-to spot for celebrity makeup brands and skincare essentials, is facing a hefty fine from California cities for alleged improper disposal of its leftover products.
The company, accused of mishandling hazardous waste at its retail locations, will pay nearly $78,000 to Sacramento County and to several California cities and counties. According to a news release from the Sacramento County district attorney’s office, the total settlement amount is $775,000.
“Our office is committed to protecting both the public and the environment, and we will hold companies accountable to ensure they operate responsibly and within the law,” Dist. Atty. Thien Ho said in the release.
Following an investigation, 24 city and district attorneys across the state filed a civil enforcement action. It alleged the makeup giant was mishandling damaged, returned and expired merchandise, which is considered hazardous waste according to state law.
The complaint alleges that the company failed to determine which items that were thrown out were used, expired, recalled or damaged and didn’t keep records of test results and waste management. The materials were also allegedly improperly managed and transported.
The judgment, settled in Sacramento County Superior Court, includes a $550,000 charge in civil penalties, $200,000 in cost recovery and $25,000 to the Environmental Enforcement and Training Account managed by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
A Sephora spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Times, “In order to move forward, we agreed to comply with the Task Force and settle without admitting wrongdoing. We have always taken environmental protection seriously and support a number of responsible retailer impact efforts.”
Sephora started in 1969 as a small perfume shop in France. Over the years, it cemented itself as one of makeup’s main retailers, serving hundreds of millions of customers and becoming a multibillion-dollar company.
It operates over 2,700 stores in 35 countries worldwide, with over 100 locations in California. The company is still headquartered in France, with its U.S. arm operating out of San Francisco.
It is not the only business to face an environmental lawsuit.
In August, United Parcel Service Inc. and its affiliates were required to pay $1.7 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the district attorneys of 45 California counties.
That complaint alleged that UPS sent improperly labeled hazardous waste to area landfills. The suit came after a years-long investigation at 140 UPS locations in California.
The company had to pay $1.4 million in civil penalties, $140,000 in cost reimbursement and $205,000 that will go toward supplemental environmental projects, according to officials.
