Circularity
Understanding the value of a circular economy and identifying circular solutions are essential to changing our world for good. Circularity, or the zero-waste principle of keeping materials in a closed loop and away from landfills and incinerators, is the future. Find out about the latest innovations and solutions accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the articles here from The Optimist Daily.
This sustainable wood alternative is made from kombucha waste
As demand for wood keeps growing, scientists are scrambling to find alternative sources for the material to cut the industry’s environmental footprint. From lab-grown wood to wood 3D-printed with the help of logging waste, innovators are hard at work to find viable solutions. Design student Gabe Read More...
These recycled swimming pools are made from old shipping containers
Earlier this summer, we shared a story about the “Airbnb of pools,” but what if that rented pool was also made out of a recycled shipping container? This is the vision of Modpools. Conceptualized by Paul Rathnam, Modpools turns old shipping containers into convenient, sustainable, and efficient Read More...
Four strategies to make solar panels even more sustainable
Solar energy is a renewable source with fairly high reliability and scalability, but even the best solutions have some drawbacks. In the case of solar, the panels themselves are emissions-intensive to produce and require mined silicon, glass, and aluminum. As we continue to improve the Read More...
The Optimist View: Building Circularity into Electric Vehicles
To eliminate the concept of waste means to design things-products, packaging, and systems-from the very beginning on the understanding that waste does not exist. - William McDonough BY Kristy Jansen and Sam Suh Earlier this year, I became the proud owner of an all-electric car一a used Read More...
This plastic sculpture puts the environmental impact of plastic waste into perspective
Since the early 1950s, the world has produced about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. About 60 percent of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment. Seeking to put that mind-boggling about of plastic waste into perspective, artist Iiina Klaus has teamed up with Read More...
Ways to curb your fast fashion habit
Haven’t you heard? Sustainability is in style, while exploitative and wasteful consumerism is out. So why is it so difficult for the fashion industry to catch up with the trends? In the past, many of us would go clothes shopping to buy cheap garments with short lifespans that we end up Read More...
Novel material converts waste heat to electricity with record efficiency
Researchers at Northwestern University have come up with an extremely high-performing thermoelectric material that may be the most efficient yet at converting waste heat into electricity. Thermoelectric systems generate electricity by using a temperature gradient. When one side of special material Read More...
Beyond recycling: plastic can be eaten!
Single use plastic waste is one of the largest problems facing humanity. According to Greenpeace, over 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste have been created and discarded, with only 9 percent of that number being recycled. This isn’t necessarily due to a lack of effort; plastics like polyethylene Read More...
This eco-friendly energy storage device is made from tropical fruit waste
While your local grocery store most likely doesn’t have any tamarinds in its fresh produce aisle, the tropical fruit is consumed in great quantities in Asia, where the fruit’s bulky shells usually end up in landfills after they’ve been discarded. In a bid to find a better use for this Read More...
Scottish distillery unveils transport fleet that runs on whiskey waste
Like an increasing number of businesses around the world, whiskey giant Glenfiddich recently pledged to reduce its footprint on the environment. With that goal in mind, the company started adapting its delivery trucks to run on low-emission biofuel created from its own whiskey waste. Adopting a Read More...