Futuristic plant-monitoring buggy makes farming more sustainable
With a heavy reliance on fertilizers, pesticides, and valuable water supplies, it’s needless to say that our current farming practices are anything but environment-friendly. And with a growing population, agriculture’s effects on our climate are only expected to worsen in the next few Read More...
This tiny electric car designed by students is made from recycled waste
Making a truly sustainable vehicle sounds like a nearly impossible endeavor, but a team of Dutch students recently gave it a shot, with the result being a rather impressive sporty-looking electric car made almost entirely out of waste. Developed by a team of students from the Eindhoven University Read More...
These refillable cleaning products help you reduce plastic waste
Reducing plastic consumption is one of the most effective ways to tackle plastic pollution. That’s why, here at The Optimist Daily, we love hearing about solutions tackling the plastic problem at the source. The latest we’ve come across was developed by UK startup Spruce. Its solution to Read More...
Sustainable supersonic jets could soon take to the skies
In 1947, the first supersonic jet took to the skies, with American pilot Chuck Yeager becoming the first to break the sound barrier. To make the technology mainstream, the British and French governments joined forces to create the Concorde: the first commercial-sized supersonic jet capable of Read More...
Adidas creates incredible robot that weaves zero-waste running shoes
Footwear is taking a giant step into the future thanks to an incredible custom-built robot from Adidas. Inspired by string art (the weaving of thread between nails to create a pleasing pattern), the robot can weave individual threads of raw yarn diagonally across the midsole of a shoe. This not Read More...
This startup makes diamonds out of CO2 captured from the atmosphere
From worker exploitation to environmental degradation, mined diamonds are fraught with problems. And while synthetically made gems are marketed to be more ethical, they are often made from fossil fuels. Looking to cover all ethical bases, a startup found a way to produce diamonds that are not only Read More...
Wisdom Supply Company makes back to school waste-free
Heading back to school this fall looks very different for most children, but what hasn’t changed is the heavy use of single-use plastic in school supplies. Binders, notebooks, dividers, and mechanical pencils that help students learn are all usually made with plastic that will pollute our world Read More...
This brand grows its carbon-negative packaging from mycelium
To further minimize its impact on the environment, French brand Amen is now shipping its candles in carbon-negative packing made from mycelium and agricultural waste. Amen is already known as a sustainable luxury brand. They use natural wax from vegetable oil to make candles rather than an animal Read More...
Adidas and Stella McCartney to sell products made of fungus leather by 2021
Recently, we covered a study that documented the incredible potential of fungi to replace animal-derived leather with a more eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative. Now giant retailers are joining forces to bring this bio-material to scale by investing significant amounts of money in a Read More...
In the future, this gravity-defying robot could help the elderly do chores
Earth’s population is rapidly aging. Whereas today there are ten people under age 65 for every one senior, the United Nations projects it will be just five to one by 2050. In some countries like Japan, it’ll be less than two to one, which means we will need solutions for how to take care of a Read More...