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.
This automaker is repurposing old EV batteries for solar power in Puerto Rico
Rivian is known for pushing the boundaries of battery tech. Not only is the startup working on the first all-electric pickup for the US market, but it's also planning "Rivian-to-Rivian" charging, which will allow its vehicles to charge each other, and it designed a camp stove add-on that takes Read More...
Giant US retailer Target plans to go 100 percent green by 2030
Lately, it seems like the global push for going green isn’t only being driven by concerned citizens, but also by big shots in the corporate world. Take US retailer Target, for example, that has recently pledged to take a major step forward by committing to source 100 percent of its electricity Read More...
This store provides embarrassing bags to stop shoppers from using plastic
Grocery store owner David Lee Kwan initially hoped that a fee on single-use bags would discourage his customers from using them. But when the five-cent a bag charge failed to stop people from using plastic, he tried a different approach. So now when customers don’t bring their own bags to the Read More...
Aldi ranked first among US grocers for its efforts to curtail single-use plastics
The time has come for the big companies to start doing the heavy lifting when it comes to reducing the staggering amount of plastic waste that has made its way virtually everywhere in the world, from the stomachs of whales to the food we eat and the water we drink. And while individual choices Read More...
A high-tech sustainable greenhouse is about to be built in coal country
Kentucky may be coal country, but that’s not stopping entrepreneurs from introducing sustainability to the state. In Morehead, a small town where roughly one in three people live below the poverty line, a company called AppHarvest is constructing a massive new 60-acre high-tech greenhouse will be Read More...
Bathing suits shed microplastics. This brand has a better solution
Every time someone washes something made from polyester or another synthetic fabric, tiny fibers flow down the drain and into waterways. In one study, an acrylic sweater shed 700,000 fibers each time it was washed. For swimsuits, the problem can be more direct, and some microfibers might rub off Read More...
Giant UK supermarket chain to lead the fight on unnecessary plastic packaging
Concerned over the growing scale of unnecessary plastic waste, Sainsbury’s, Britain’s leading supermarket, has become the first in the country to commit to a plastic-free aisle in their stores. The initiative will remove 489 tons’ worth of plastic bags, which are currently used for loose Read More...
How Olay could lead other beauty companies to start use refillable packaging
While skincare products may be a good way to keep your body beautiful, the way they’re packaged is only making the world a dirtier place. The good news is that the beauty label Olay is becoming the first major global skincare brand to test refillable packaging in an attempt to reduce plastic Read More...
IKEA launches new collection made of leftover rice straw to reduce smog in India
Once the rice is harvested in India, the straw is commonly burnt by small-scale rural farmers to make way for the new crop. This smoke contributes to the smog peaks that cause numerous health problems for the population of northern India, where nine out of 10 of the world's most polluted cities are Read More...
Wrangler has come up with a way to make blue jeans that isn’t super wasteful
Think about classic blue jeans. The rich color comes from indigo, and it’s so ubiquitous both in fashion and in the American cultural imagination that it’s easy to imagine denim cloth as a naturally occurring phenomenon. It’s not. To get that blue-jeans hue, the yarn that’s eventually Read More...