Solar-powered umbrella aims to make your beach holiday more sustainable
Given how much time parasols on coastal beaches sit under the sun, wouldn’t it make sense to replace the thick fabric they’re made of with solar panels — and maybe even use some of the energy generated to power, let’s say, beachfront ice-cream freezers? Italy’s leading gelato and frozen Read More...
Researchers turn biodegradable cutlery into recycled insulation
Picking up a biodegradable fork may seem like an environmentally friendly choice, but these utensils still require new materials for their production and oftentimes won’t actually degrade naturally. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have come up with a way to Read More...
LEGO’s new prototype bricks are made from discarded plastic bottles
From cutting plastic from packaging to using plant-based materials, famous toymaker LEGO has been hard at work in recent years to make its beloved toy bricks more sustainable. With that same goal in mind, the company has recently created its first prototype building blocks using recycled PET Read More...
Do cars pass your bike too closely on the road? This taillight has your back
Being a cyclist on the road means trusting drivers to pay attention and give you enough space for your safety and their own. One of the leading causes of car accidents that involve cyclists is when the driver of the motorized vehicle passes too closely to cyclists. Too often vehicles are left Read More...
Scientists use a 3D printer to create a living material made from algae
Being some of the most productive organisms on Earth, it’s no wonder that algae are the subject of intense study in the scientific community. We have previously written many stories about these miracle organisms and their incredible qualities, such as sequestering greenhouse gases and Read More...
Mangroves roots inspire scientists to develop efficient water purifier
While solar stills have been around for some time already, there’s plenty of room for efficiency improvements. In a bid to do exactly that, scientists from Virginia Tech have developed a mangrove-inspired “synthetic tree” that mimics the natural process of transporting water from the roots to Read More...
This video game enables players to tackle real-world environmental problems
From companies using more recycled materials in their products to corporations increasing their focus on sustainability, and people learning about ways to green up their lifestyle, climate change concerns have become ubiquitous. Now, even video games are joining the climate movement. One of these Read More...
These racially inclusive building blocks teach kids to celebrate diversity
Teaching kids about the value of human diversity is key to instilling a sense of acceptance and tolerance within future generations. That's the line of thinking behind the design of a new set of building blocks that are shaped like abstract people and painted with a diverse range of skin tone Read More...
This self-sufficient floating island is designed to clean up our oceans
Here at The Optimist Daily, we have a soft spot for creative solutions to environmental challenges. That’s why we’re happy to share with you the story of the 8th continent — an award-winning design that recycles ocean plastic and is fully self-sustainable. Designed by Lenka Petráková, a Read More...
This mobile device provides refuge to unsheltered people in Ecuador
Earlier this year, we wrote about a thoughtful initiative in the German city of Ulm that saw the installation of a series of pods around the town for unsheltered people to be able to sleep in. A similar project is now taking place in Ecuador, where architecture firm Natura Futura Arquitectura Read More...