Purdue Chemistry earns sustainability award

2024-04-09

Purdue Chemistry was presented the Kimberly-Clark Professional Greenovation Award for demonstrating sustainability leadership and reducing its environmental footprint by participating in landfill diversion programs.

A department in the College of Science, Chemistry was recognized for diverting 4.78 tons or 10,544 pounds of PPE waste from landfills in 2023 through The RightCycle™ Program. The program helps a wide range of customers reduce their solid waste streams by enabling them to recycle nontraditional waste such as garments, gloves, hoods, boot covers, masks, safety eyewear and wipes.

"We started this program in 2014 and have won the award every year since. Our total pounds since we began is 40,571 pounds of gloves," said Suzy Gustafson, Chemistry procurement manager.

Since its inception in 2011, The RightCycle™ Program has helped over 1,100 customers divert more 5 million pounds of waste.

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University has ranked Purdue No. 12 of 210 institutions in the United States and No. 93 out of 1,403 institutions worldwide for sustainability.