Purdue Chemistry earns sustainability award

2025-04-24

Writer(s): Steve Scherer

Purdue University’s Tarpo Department of Chemistry was presented with the Ansell Limited 2024 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 7,830 pounds of PPE waste from landfills in 2024 through The RightCycle™ Program. The program helps a wide range of customers reduce their solid waste streams by enabling them to recycle non-traditional waste such as garments, gloves, hoods, boot covers, masks, safety eyewear and wipes.

"We joined this program a decade ago and have won the award every year, diverting a total of 48,401 pounds of lab gloves since 2014,” said Rita Woodard, a staff member in the Chemistry Maintentance Shop.

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 in the United States and No. 74 globally for sustainability.

Ross Klawitter (Ansell Limited), Rita Woodard (Chemistry Maintentance Shop), Nick Schetzsle (ThermoFisher Scientific), and Nick Noto (Ansell Limited) with the Greenovation Award presented to the Tarpo Department of Chemistry by Ansell Limited.