January 12, 2021
We're sharing circular economy solutions with a new food delivery service that brings you meals in reusable containers and a designer making sleek chairs from recycled e-waste. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
This sleek chair is made of recycled plastic from electronic waste
In 2019, the world generated 54 million metric tons of e-waste — a worrying number that’s expected to increase to 64 million metric tons by 2030. London-based designer Tom Robinson wants to help curb that amount by turning e-waste into sleek, minimalist furniture. The designer’s latest Read More...
Hungry before bed? Here are 4 sleep-inducing snacks
There’s nothing wrong with eating a snack before bed. It’s much better if you satisfy that peckish feeling rather than ignoring it and laying in bed counting down the hours to breakfast. That said, not all snacks will help prime your body for a good night’s sleep, such as sugary snacks. To Read More...
This new delivery platform uses reusable containers to cut plastic waste
Food and packaging containers together account for almost 45 percent of landfill materials in the US. A large part of that waste comes from takeout orders, where single-use plastic packaging has been normalized. A new delivery service in New York City, called DeliverZero, wants to change that by Read More...
Losing motivation? 6 tips to help you stick with your New Year’s resolution
While you may have felt certain that you would fulfill your New Year’s resolution when you first set it, you might be feeling differently now that we’re nearly halfway through January. Neuroscience tells us that maintaining the motivation and focus needed to change a behavior can be very Read More...
Portable X-ray system enables patients to self-check for broken bones
For someone to confirm their suspicion of an injury-related broken bone, they have to be X-rayed by a trained physician at a hospital. Soon, however, it may be possible for them to do it themselves, thanks to a portable X-ray device that could be located virtually anywhere. Designed by scientists Read More...
New chemical process turns biomass into fuel in a cheap, efficient way
While biofuels are a great renewable energy source with a promising potential to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, producing them is no easy feat. This is in large part due to the fact that converting biomass into liquid fuels is quite an energy-intensive process. Fortunately, scientists at Read More...
Encourage creativity in remote teams with these strategies
Creativity in a traditional office often involves vision boards, in-person brainstorming sessions, and bouncing ideas off each other, but how can you maintain a creative edge with a remote team? Fortunately, there are ways to promote productivity and innovation even when we’re not meeting in Read More...
Listening to salmon could make farmed fishing less wasteful
Farmed salmon make up somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of all the salmon humans eat. Those salmon need to be fed, but it can be tricky for growers to understand when to feed them and how much food to provide. After all, salmon do not behave like dogs, who will simply saunter over to their supper Read More...
These dogs put their noses to the ground to help protect wildlife
Dogs are well-known for their ability to sniff out explosives, drugs, and even cancer, but a team of scientists is putting our four-legged friends to work on a new task in Montana and beyond: researching wildlife. Ecologist Megan Parker is one of the scientists trying to gain a more detailed Read More...