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.

Volkswagen’s electric self-d

Volkswagen’s electric self-driving cars are hitting the streets of Hamburg

Anyone who truly cares about the environment probably shudders a little at the mention of Volkswagen. Nonetheless, Volkswagen has a goal of making automated driving a practical reality by 2025, and is hustling to make that happen. The German Automaker is now testing self-driving versions of its Read More...

Patagonia is showing the beer

Patagonia is showing the beer industry how to brew a sustainable beer

Patagonia is not your typical outdoor gear retailer. This privately-owned company does not shy away from opportunities to take a political stance, to mount counterintuitive advertising campaigns, and to seek more sustainable ways of doing business. So, really, we shouldn't be all that surprised Read More...

A battery-swapping scheme is e

A battery-swapping scheme is electrifying rickshaws in India

In India, where fewer than four million cars are sold annually, auto rickshaws (called tuk-tuks in other Asian countries) are one of the dominant modes of transportation. As India attempts to clean up the country’s troublesome air pollution, some manufacturers are now, for the first time, Read More...

70% of IKEA’s products in 20

70% of IKEA’s products in 2018 were either renewable or recycled

IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, has revealed that 70 percent of its production materials in 2018 were either repurposed or recycled. The progress was posted in the retailer’s latest sustainability report, which also documents the actions the furniture giant has taken to date to Read More...

A couple finally came up with

A couple finally came up with a sustainable solution to elastic hair ties

People around the world lose hair ties on a daily basis. It happens to the best of us, but the problem is most of these end up in the trash or litter the environment which is why a couple from Canada founded a company by the name of Kooshoo that makes hair ties that are completely biodegradable. Read More...

This company wants to clean up

This company wants to clean up the household cleaner industry

The household cleaning aisle at the store features dozens of spray cleaners for different surfaces, and the ingredient lists are a mile long with chemical names that are impossible to pronounce. While many of those cleaners are effective for getting rid of dirt and germs, some of the chemicals Read More...

Carbon capture firm receives $

Carbon capture firm receives $68 million funding to commercialize its tech

Carbon capture technology is poised to be a vital tool in the global fight against climate change. The only problem is high costs and a limited commercial market makes scaling it up a rather slow process. Recently, however, that trend seems to be changing. Take, for example, a Canadian company Read More...

For every product sold, P&

For every product sold, P&G donates one liter of clean water to areas in need

Clean water is a pressing need in many areas of the world and delivering services that can mitigate the issue is a big challenge. That’s why, in collaboration with Walmart International, P&G has set out a project that allows consumers to help bring clean drinking water to children, families, Read More...

Panda Express is finally intro

Panda Express is finally introducing vegan options thanks to petition

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has long been chipping away at Panda Express’ resistance to offering any dishes sans chicken broth or animal-derived seasoning. In fact, supporters of the animal right group contacted Panda Express 234,000 times about adding vegan menu entrees. Read More...

These 25 women are shaking up

These 25 women are shaking up the corporate climate movement

When you think about the leaders working to make this world a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly place, who do you think of? Elon Musk? Michael Bloomberg? Boyan Slat? While these are all honorable names, women are all too often not receiving the credit they truly deserve. We think it’s more Read More...