The Canadian government has fined the Estée Lauder Cos.
The beauty company, whose brands include Estée Lauder, Too Faced and Clinique, has been fined $750,000 by the Ontario Court of Justice, after pleading guilty to two counts of violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act for selling eyeliners containing a forever chemical.
The Estée Lauder Cos. did not immediately respond to request for comment regarding the fine.
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In addition to the fine, the company was ordered to notify its shareholders about this conviction. The fine will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
In May 2023, as part of a routine inspection, Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers discovered the company was selling some eyeliner products that had perfluorononyl dimethicone listed as an ingredient, per a release.
Under the law, Lauder was required to notify the Canadian government that the products contained the forever chemical before the activity occurred to allow the government to assess potential health or environmental risks in advance.
But on June 8, 2023, officers issued an environmental protection compliance order to the company, outlining steps the company was to take. Ultimately, the company did not comply with the order, per the release.
As a result of this conviction, the company’s name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.
