Design
Giant retailers like Walmart and Target unite to take on plastic bags
Single-use plastic shopping bags are a real problem. They take decades to break down but nearly 100 billion of them are used in the United States every year to cart away goods from retailers. Fewer than 10 percent of those are recycled — often winding up in landfills and waterways because many Read More...
These stickers help people with disabilities get a seat on public transit
“Please offer me a seat. Not all disabilities are visible,” reads a new sticker that’s available to buy online, intended for disabled people who struggle to find seating on public transit. The idea is the brainchild of Catherine Callahan, who volunteers with Bay Area Rapid Transit, the Read More...
Highschoolers create coloring book to teach children about the pandemic
Explaining the pandemic to children is no simple task, but four high school students are educating children about coronavirus and raising money for charity with a coloring book that gives kids critical information without overwhelming them. Lauryn Hong, Ella Matlock, Sofia Migliazza and Erin Read More...
This eco-friendly brick is made almost entirely out of construction waste
The hefty carbon footprint of our built environment is one of the main contributors to the climate crisis. And while it’s essential that we find smarter, more efficient ways to operate our buildings, it is of equal importance to reduce the embodied carbon of the building materials that we use in Read More...
This bill will require all new public buildings to be bird-friendly
Birds, often migratory ones, are known to fly into the reflective facades of glass buildings. In fact, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimates almost one billion birds are killed annually from collisions with buildings in the US. In order to protect birds from this fate, the US House of Read More...
These clothes are made of biomaterials and unused fabric to tackle waste
With millions of tons of waste being generated by the global apparel market every year, it’s nice to see an increasing number of designers coming up with ideas to rethink the way clothes are produced within the industry. The latest of such initiatives come from London designer Alexander Taylor Read More...
Got milk? These shirts made from spoiled dairy sure do
You know the saying there’s no use crying over spilled milk? Well for LA-based startup Mi Terro, spilled milk truly is a new opportunity. The company is using biotechnology to turn a portion of the 128 million tons of milk wasted every year into sustainable fibers for biodegradable Read More...
Could these reusable containers remove single-use plastics from delivery?
Food delivery has spiked in the wake of the pandemic, thus increasing the use of disposable plastic associated with takeaway packaging. Needless to say, this has only amplified the global plastic crisis. It's also highlighted the urgent need to redesign the food delivery sector, which is worth Read More...
Japan’s new bullet train will keep running even during a natural disaster
Japan has long been ahead of the game when it comes to trains. The country’s bullet trains not only hit speeds of over 200MPH with ease, but they’re also notoriously punctual. Its latest train model, however, is taking Japanese transportation to new heights. The new train is called the N700S, Read More...
Each purchase of these bags made from recycled plastic plants a tree
Here at The Optimist Daily, we love designers that integrate sustainability deep into the fabric of their products. Solo New York is the type of brand that does exactly that, quite literally. A leading, city-inspired designer of backpacks, the company recently announced the launch of its exciting Read More...