Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
This company is creating ethical diamonds from captured CO2 and rainwater
Diamonds may be beautiful, but the industry behind it is not. To start with, there are the terrible environmental consequences that come with mining for diamonds. The Guardian reports that to get just one carat (0.2 grams) of a traditional diamond, miners could excavate up to 2.2 million pounds Read More...
Stripe customers can now donate directly to carbon capture projects
If we want to spare the Earth of runaway climate change, we must not only dramatically cut down on emissions, but also remove greenhouse gasses that already exist within our atmosphere. And while carbon capture technologies could play a big role in this, many of these technologies have yet to be Read More...
RepairSmith is changing car repairs with convenience and philanthropy
Traditional car repairs involve dropping off your car at the mechanic, waiting around for a few hours, then picking it back up. RepairSmith is looking to change up car repairs by modernizing the whole system. Advertised as the “Uber of car repairs,” the company lets you book a repair online so Read More...
Keep these 5 essentials in mind when building a remote team
While there are many conveniences to working remotely, there is one aspect that is particularly tricky: hiring new employees. Without non-verbal cues and in-person interactions, how can you be sure whether the person you are hiring is truly the right fit? And how do you onboard those new employees Read More...
Prisons often reject letters to inmates. This app stops that from happening
If you have a loved one in prison and want to contact them, generally you are allowed to call, email, or video chat with them. The only problem is prisons can charge a fortune for these services, leaving physical mail as the best and sometimes only option for people behind bars. But mail comes Read More...
Burger King is testing reusable containers for sandwiches and drinks
Amid growing awareness about the world’s plastic binge, fast-food chains have come under increasing pressure from the public to shrink their environmental footprint. Last month, for example, we saw McDonald’s partner with reusable packaging brand Loop to experiment with reusable cups. Now, Read More...
6 dirty power plants in New York to transition to cleaner technologies
Power plants that rely on fossil fuels are already bad enough, but what makes these polluting plants even worse is that they are disproportionately located near communities of color. In a study from the University of Washington and Stanford University, researchers found that Black, low-income Read More...
Major UK retailers remove glitter from their products to prevent pollution
While it may add some fun and glamour to the holiday season, glitter quickly loses its sparkle once you realize that it’s just another form of microplastic, bound to eventually make its way into the environment and harm marine life. But as awareness around the problem with glitter is growing, an Read More...
How voting rights groups are helping inmates vote from jail
If casting a ballot can already be a tricky process for regular citizens, you can imagine how difficult it is for inmates to vote—especially during the pandemic. Most states don’t allow felons to vote while serving their sentence. With that said, people with misdemeanor sentences do have the Read More...
IKEA will buy back unwanted furniture to promote sustainable consumption
In a step closer towards reaching its goal of full circularity by 2030, IKEA will soon start buying unwanted furniture from its customers for up to 50 percent of the original price — all in a bid to encourage people to take a stand against excessive consumption. As part of the plan, the Swedish Read More...