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.
Michelin plans to replace oil with wood for more sustainable tires
Wooden tires? Today, 80 percent of the materials used to make car tires comes from oil. In an attempt to make tires more sustainable, Michelin will be introducing a new tire in 2020 wherein some of the oil components will be replaced by wood. The tire maker will incorporate elastomers from wood Read More...
Alphabet balloons will soon bring Internet access to remote regions of rural Kenya
Loon, a business of Alphabet, Google’s parent company is deploying a system of balloons to beam high-speed Internet access to cover rural areas in Kenya from next year onwards. Loon is partnering with Telkom Read More...
Four-day work week cuts stress and boosts commitment at New Zealand firm
An experiment at a New Zealand company shows that a four-day working week substantially increases the capacity of employees t0 manage their work-life balance. The 240 employees worked four eight hour days for two months and were paid for five. Academics studied the trial before, during and after Read More...
Amazon turns the trunk of your car into a mailbox
If you have the right vehicle, you live in one of 37 selected cities in the U.S, and you are an Amazon Prime member, the tech giant will deliver packages to the trunk of your car. The service follows an Amazon initiative last year of deliveries in people’s homes. The future of urban deliveries is Read More...
Starbucks and McDonald’s invite more competitors to work with them to rethink cups
Worldwide each year 600 billion cups are used for coffee and soft drinks. McDonald’s and Starbucks distribute a combined 4 percent of that amount. Their cups are technically recyclable but the infrastructure to make that happen rarely exists. That has to change. That’s why the two fast food Read More...
Study: A third of all startups are created for social good
Startups aren’t all aiming to become so-called unicorns who bring in the big bucks. According to a multi-country study, one-third of all startups that come about aim to create social good. Now the question is how to get more funding to go to these projects so that they can make a greater impact Read More...
How blockchain can help you become an innovator in your industry
You don’t need to be a bitcoin guru to make use of the blockchain. In many industries, from art dealing to gemstone trading, the blockchain is being used to place a layer of transparency and security over transactions. Other applications of blockchain are having great social and environmental Read More...
Cement producers are developing a plan to reduce CO2 emissions
One of the world's biggest industries—and a leading producer of greenhouse gas emissions may finally be making moves to combat climate change. The World Cement Association recently held its first-ever global climate change forum, where industry leaders and scientists discussed strategies to Read More...
This insurance giant is dropping support for coal-dependent clients
Insurance giant Swiss Re has enacted a policy that refuses coverage to any company that either generates 30 percent or more of its revenue from coal power, or uses at least 30 percent coal power to run its operations. While this move reflects a commitment to limiting global warming, it’s also a Read More...
Kenyan farmers swap coffee for avocados to tap into global boom
While a harsh drought has hindered progress for coffee farmers in Kenya and their thirsty crops, many farmers have switched to the avocado business – a crop that's proving to provide better earnings with less maintenance and Read More...