The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting nominations for the 2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from companies or institutions that have developed a new green chemistry process or product that helps protect human health and the environment.

The awards program highlights green chemistry that helps prevent pollution before it is even created. Winning technologies are responsible for annually reducing the use or generation of hundreds of millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals, saving billions of gallons of water, and eliminating billions of pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents.

“Green chemistry is an important way to create products that prevent waste and increase resource efficiency,” said Jennie Romer, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention deputy assistant administrator for pollution prevention. “In recent years, we’ve seen tremendous innovation in transforming how we can more effectively use renewable feedstock, agricultural waste, and bio-based proteins. The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards spotlight cutting edge technologies and show us how green chemistry will continue to protect our environment and ensure we all have cleaner air and water.”

The 2025 competition includes six award categories, including a category to recognize green chemistry technology that can prevent or reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a category that debuted last year to emphasize circularity through the design of greener chemicals and materials that can be continuously reused or remanufactured—thereby reducing waste.

Nominations are due to EPA by Dec. 13. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute will judge the 2025 nominations and make recommendations to EPA for the 2025 winners. EPA anticipates announcing awards to outstanding green chemistry technologies in fall 2025.

Additionally, EPA is announcing a webinar to be held on Oct. 9 from 2 to 3 p.m. ET, to educate stakeholders on the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards and the nomination process. Register for the webinar.

Registration for the SC Johnson Professional Happy Hands dispenser design contest is now open. The annual contest allows students in grades K-12 to explore their creative side while helping them understand the importance of regular hand washing and sanitizing in schools.  

The contest includes two categories: elementary school (grades K-5) and middle/high school (grades 6-12). Each student may submit only one dispenser design and art must be submitted via mail and postmarked by Nov. 30. The contest is open to all K-12 public or private school institutions in the United States and District of Columbia. 

Submissions will be evaluated for visual appeal, overall hand hygiene messaging, creativity, and unique design elements. Finalists in each category will be announced on Feb. 1, 2025, and the public can then vote for their favorite designs on the contest website. Voting closes on Feb. 28, 2025.  

The design with the most votes in each category will receive the top prize: US$1,000 for the grand prize winner’s school, a $300 gift card for the winning student, and up to 1,000 manual soap/sanitizer dispensers featuring the winner’s design. The grand prize winner for each category will be announced in the spring of 2025. 

Schools interested in participating in the contest can visit the Happy Hands website to register and view the complete official rules. After registering for the contest, schools will receive access to design templates and free hand washing educational materials for their students.