Kimberly-Clark Professional has listed nearly 50 companies as 2023 Greenovation Award winners for participating in its personal protective equipment (PPE) landfill diversion programme.

The companies were recognised for diverting a total of nearly 220 tons of discarded PPE from landfills last year through the KC Professional RightCycle programme, which enables customers to recycle single-use items like garments, gloves, hoods, boot covers, masks and safety eyewear.

Some of the companies recognised for operating PPE recycling collection sites in 2022 include Boston Scientific (Dorado, Puerto Rico), Catalent (Madison, Wisconsin), Cook Medical (Bloomington Indiana), Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (Grand Rapids, Michigan), the Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, Maine), MilliporeSigma (Danvers, Massachusetts), Pfizer (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Philips (Reedsville, Pennsylvania), Promega (Fitchburg, Wisconsin), Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Rensselaer, New York), and WL Gore (Phoenix, Arizona).

Since its inception in 2011, the RightCycle programme has helped more than 1,000 KC Professional customers divert more than 2,250 tons of discarded PPE from landfills.

“Our customers have displayed exceptional leadership in sustainability through this programme, as well as other initiatives to reduce their environmental impact,” said Ashley Davis, global sustainability manager at KC Professional. “We commend them on their accomplishments.”

Material collected through RightCycle is sent to regional recycling partners and turned into plastic pellets used to manufacture consumer products auch lawn furniture, benches and bicycle racks.

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