Today’s Solutions: July 12, 2026

Business

Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo cut ties

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo cut ties with pro-plastics lobbying association

With increasing social awareness about the plastic menace that has befallen upon the world, more and more companies are kneeling down to social pressure and are gradually moving away from single-use plastics. The latest instance comes from soft drink giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo which have Read More...

This massive hotel group is ph

This massive hotel group is phasing out mini toiletries to curb plastic waste

The days of stashing mini toiletries in your bag upon leaving a hotel room are nearing the end. InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns more than 5,000 hotels worldwide across several brands including Holiday Inn, has announced it will be phasing these out in order to cut down on plastic waste. Read More...

A new startup is on a quest to

A new startup is on a quest to remove plastic from online grocery shipping

Single-use plastics are ubiquitous in the world of food. Sure, some supermarkets are starting to eliminate this type of packaging, but what we urgently need is a way to do groceries without all the plastic. That’s where a new online grocery service, Rise Mrkt, comes in. The startup, which says Read More...

Giant UK hospitality business

Giant UK hospitality business to stop handing out wasteful receipts to its customers

Every year, British retailers hand out 11.2 billion receipts -- that’s 7300 tons of paper -- at a cost of nearly $40 million. Most of these receipts end up in the landfill because they cannot be recycled as a result of them being printed on shiny paper and containing other substances. In a bid Read More...

Fashion giant Zara to produce

Fashion giant Zara to produce clothing only using sustainable fabrics by 2025

While it’s fantastic that many niche apparel brands are popping up that make clothes in an eco-friendly manner, the toxic environmental impact that comes with fast fashion won’t be solved if bigger clothing companies don’t agree to clean up their supply chain. That’s why it’s good to Read More...

Papa John’s makes tiny pizza

Papa John’s makes tiny pizza to raise awareness about declining bee populations

Honey bee populations are in decline and we all know how important these insects are in our food chain. A world without bees is literally a world without fruits, vegetables, nuts, and oils. To draw attention to the plight of the pollinators, Papa John’s UK has made what it calls the world’s Read More...

Virgin set to cut ties with at

Virgin set to cut ties with attractions that hold whales and dolphins captive

Removing dolphins and whales from their natural environment and confining them in cramped water tanks at amusement parks can seriously affect the physical and psychological well-being of these mammals. In a bid to discourage people from visiting such amusement parks, Virgin Holidays, one of the Read More...

The in’s and out’s of Maer

The in’s and out’s of Maersk’s mission to stop emitting carbon by 2050

Maersk — the world's largest container shipping company — has an astonishing goal. By 2050, the company vows to send goods around the world with zero carbon emissions. The environmental logic behind such a promise is straightforward: Shipping contributes substantially to global climate Read More...

Adidas by Stella McCartney unv

Adidas by Stella McCartney unveils new hoodie made out of 100% recycled clothing

Each year, the world throws out a mind-boggling 92 million tons of textile waste. In a little more than a decade, that number could increase by 60 percent. One solution to this problem is recycling the most popular fabric used for making clothing: cotton. In collaboration with fashion designer Read More...

Home Depot CEO pledges to dona

Home Depot CEO pledges to donate nearly 90% of his fortune to charity

Seeing billionaires give away a big chunk of their wealth to charities is a rare phenomenon, but when it happens it is definitely a heartwarming and hope-giving one. Enter billionaire co-founder of Home Depot Bernie Marcus, who has recently pledged to give 80 to 90 percent of his estimated $4.5 Read More...