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.
These recycled swimming pools are made from old shipping containers
Earlier this summer, we shared a story about the “Airbnb of pools,” but what if that rented pool was also made out of a recycled shipping container? This is the vision of Modpools. Conceptualized by Paul Rathnam, Modpools turns old shipping containers into convenient, sustainable, and efficient Read More...
Volvo will soon use fossil-free steel to make its electric trucks
Earlier this year, Volvo pledged to go all-electric by 2030, while making its entire business operations (including its supply chain) climate-neutral by 2050 — all in a bid to do its part in the fight against the climate crisis. To that end, the carmaker has recently made a deal with Swedish Read More...
Retrofitting demonstrates the profitability of green industry
Research has shown that it is possible for our world to be sustainable and profitable, but transitioning away from the fossil fuel industry requires the transfer of job skills. In England, this shift is already taking place with the growth of the green home retrofitting industry. The Manchester Read More...
A list of charities offering support and aid in Afghanistan
Watching the unrest and crisis in Afghanistan unfold this week has been devastating and leaves many of us asking, what can I do? These are some organizations offering direct aid and relief and now accepting donations and volunteers. International Rescue Committee This organization has been Read More...
IKEA to sell renewable energy directly to customers
IKEA has made efforts to transition to a greener business model with disassembly and moving instructions for furniture, forest protection, and buy-back programs. They even published a zero-waste cookbook! Now, the Swedish company is looking to expand its environmental reach even further with the Read More...
The world’s first all-electric tugboat to put to sea in 2023
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), maritime transport emits around 940 million tonnes of CO2 annually and is responsible for about 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As engineers are working to green up cargo ships with the help of low-carbon fuels, Read More...
Naomi Osaka to donate tournament winnings to earthquake relief
Following a devastating earthquake in Haiti on Sunday, tennis star Naomi Osaka has announced that she will donate the prize winnings from her next tournament to fund relief efforts in the country. She began playing in the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Monday. Osaka, who is of Read More...
6 Reputable organizations providing direct relief to Haiti
Haiti experienced a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Sunday resulting in the death of more than 1200 people and broad infrastructure damage. Multiple nonprofits have mobilized to provide aid, so we gathered a list of a few reputable organizations you can donate to in order to support relief Read More...
Study: How crop diversification boosts agricultural yields
Monoculture, the practice of planting a single crop over great expanses of agricultural land, has drained our soil of the biodiversity and nutrients needed to produce high quality, nutritious foods. A new study from Emory University demonstrates just how efficient our agricultural systems can be Read More...
Company-wide vacations might just cure burnout
We have been trudging against the compounding stress and exhaustion of nearly 18 months of living through this pandemic, and the overarching result is the condition of collective burnout. Parents with school-aged children at home have been completely drained by trying to balance full-time jobs, Read More...