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.
Jet fuel made from tobacco will green up air travel
On the heels of last week’s reports of a tobacco-based Ebola medicine, is the announcement of a partnership between Boeing and Africa Airways to develop a jet fuel made from a type of tobacco plant. The plant is called Solaris and is essentially a modified tobacco plant that doesn’t produce any Read More...
Beyond the social network
In August 2013 Facebook launched Internet.org, a partnership between Facebook and Airtel Africa, a leading telecom provider, that aims to bring free Internet to those without connectivity in developing countries. The first Internet.org app has just been released for a trial run in Zambia, and Read More...
Pepsi leads partnership to fight plastic pollution
Most Americans throw away about 185 pounds of plastic a year—of that only about 42% is recycled. All the plastic that’s wasted ends up in waterways, oceans and landfills. A new partnership of PepsiCo and The Nature Conservatory addresses this challenge. The joint initiative will place recycling Read More...
Plants in the office increase productivity
You want to increase the productivity in your organization? Put some plants in the office. Norwegian scientists discovered that plants in the office increase concentration. Another study from the University of Technology in Sydney shows that office plants reduce anger by 44 percent, anxiety by 37 Read More...
Patagonia gives design of sustainable wetsuit away
Wetsuits are horrible for the environment. They’re made of neoprene, a petroleum derivative, and the manufacturing of neoprene is extremely toxic for the environment. California clothing company Patagonia has partnered with Yulex, a company who makes plant-based biorubbers, to create a wetsuit Read More...
General Mills announces plans to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from operations and supply chain
A few months ago Oxfam released a report detailing greenhouse gas emissions in the food production sector—pointing out General Mills, one of the largest food producers in America, as one of the worst offenders. General Mills has now announced plans to greatly reduce greenhouse emissions from both Read More...
Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables a big hit in France
Apples with lumps, carrots with two legs, and oranges that aren’t perfectly round usually get thrown away before they even reach the grocery store. Many people get upset over all the ‘failed’ fruits and vegetables that go to waste; why would you toss out ugly produce when it tastes just as Read More...
UK’ s Sainsbury powers store with food–waste
Living off the national power grid is difficult for individuals, and nearly impossible for commercial stores—but that’s exactly what Sainsbury’s in the UK is looking to do. Sainsbury’s is working with local recycling company Biffa to run their Cannock store completely of anaerobic Read More...
Value of new digital currency is determined by reputation
Internet currencies as Bitcoin turn money into something completely virtual. Values are determined by rules of mathematics and programmers and freed from banks and government. But entrepreneur J. Chris Anderson wants to reform money even further. His Document Coin is less about replacing dollars Read More...
Grocery store in U.K. is first to publish Seafood Sustainability Reports
Transparency is a magic word when it comes to progress and positive change. The British grocery chain Asda is the first major supermarket to publish a Seafood Sustainability Report. The report, called the Wild Fisheries Annual Review, looks at all fisheries the grocery store has done business with Read More...