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.
Here’s how we can make buildings that capture and store CO2
If we are to successfully reverse the effects of climate change, then we must thoughtfully construct buildings that soak up carbon dioxide rather than produce it. But in order for that to happen, the building trade needs to redirect its focus. So much of the focus of "green buildings" is on Read More...
Industry is finally taking PFAS destruction technologies seriously
What are PFAS? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used chemicals that break down very slowly over time thanks to the extreme strength of the carbon-fluoride bond. Due to their long lasting nature, they are used in clothing, furniture, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, Read More...
Small brick hospital in Bangladesh wins world's best building
This year, the recipient of the renowned Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) international prize for the world’s best building is a small brick hospital situated in rural Bangladesh. The architect, director of Urbana Kashef Chowdhury, managed to create a functional yet elegant Read More...
High-schooler presents first student-written bill for UK climate education
Youth climate activist Scarlett Westbrook decided that she was fed up with the lack of formal education UK students receive on the devastating climate crisis. At one point during a geography exam, she was even asked to list the benefits of climate change — and while this was disappointing, she Read More...
Recruiting kombucha in the fight for sustainable drinking water
We’ve previously reported about the use of kombucha for a number of innovative reasons. Like stylish compostable shoes, sustainable wood alternatives, and as the key ingredient to boosting your brain and gut health. This time kombucha is helping us humans out in a different walk of life, water Read More...
Tel-Aviv could soon follow Amsterdam in adopting Doughnut Economics
In April 2020, we wrote about Amsterdam’s decision to implement a new economic model that seeks to meet the core needs of all humanity within the means of the planet. Now, a forum dedicated to advancing the adoption of this concept across the world was launched in Israel last week. The concept Read More...
Scientists use wood waste and water to create sustainable disinfectant
While the use of disinfectants has already been a regular thing for many people when cleaning their homes, the pandemic has called for unprecedented sanitization of our close surroundings. While good at their job, some disinfectants, such as chlorine-based ones, are actually environmentally Read More...
Goldie the porcupine pufferfish is thriving after emergency dental work
Did you know that porcupine pufferfish teeth, which are known as beaks, never stop growing throughout the fish’s life? “They’re usually kept short naturally, as they’re worn down on their regular diet of hard-shelled foods,” explains veterinary surgeon Daniel Calvo Carrasco, a specialist Read More...
These recycled plastic blocks offer a constructive solution for plastic pollution
At The Optimist Daily, we never tire of sharing solutions that tackle the gargantuan problem of plastic pollution. Single-use non-recyclable plastic products are prolific in this day and age, and present an undeniably challenging problem for us, for the world’s ecosystems, and for all the Read More...
Designers turn unrecyclable clothes into high-quality textiles
One of the biggest environmental concerns regarding textiles is that most of them are difficult to recycle once they reach the end of their use. This is because these materials typically contain a variety of types of fibers, quality levels, and colors, which makes sorting difficult on an industrial Read More...