Circularity
Understanding the value of a circular economy and identifying circular solutions are essential to changing our world for good. Circularity, or the zero-waste principle of keeping materials in a closed loop and away from landfills and incinerators, is the future. Find out about the latest innovations and solutions accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the articles here from The Optimist Daily.
How EV fleets are shielding Europe from oil price volatility
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A new analysis by energy think tank Ember finds that six European countries collectively avoided close to $2.2 billion (approximately €2 billion) in oil import costs between March and August 2026. The savings came directly from EV fleets reducing how much Read More...
World's tallest wind turbine reaches 1,197 feet in Germany
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The world's tallest wind turbine just reached full height in Germany. GICON's pilot turbine in Schipkau, eastern Germany, now stands 365 meters (1,197 feet) tall from base to blade tip, making it Germany's second-tallest structure after Berlin's TV tower. Read More...
A Dutch startup is making concrete that grows its own moss
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Most building materials are designed to resist the elements, to stay sealed and unchanged for as long as possible. Respyre, a Dutch startup, is working from the opposite premise. The company has developed Mosscrete, a bioreceptive concrete coating that Read More...
How one small device is solving the apartment solar access problem
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM An Australian device that splits rooftop solar power across an entire apartment building just won the country's top design honor. Melbourne-based Allume Energy took the 2026 Australian Good Design Award of the Year for its SolShare system, which its creators Read More...
6 smart things to do with an empty egg carton before you toss it in the recycling bin
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There's a half-second every time you finish a carton of eggs. The lid flops open, the last two slots are empty, and you're already reaching for the recycling bin. Before you do: cardboard egg cartons are more useful than they get credit for, and once you've Read More...
Australia sets a new renewable energy record, with rooftop solar leading the way
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On Saturday, September 22, solar and wind met 80.4 percent of demand on Australia's national electricity market, with the grid covering the eastern states, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. For about 30 minutes around lunchtime, rooftop Read More...
Berlin mapped 900,000 street trees. Now 12,000 people water them.
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Amanda Gläser-Bligh named her street tree Linda. Linda is a linden, eight years old, growing outside Gläser-Bligh's apartment building in Charlottenburg, and once a week during Berlin's hot months, Gläser-Bligh makes a couple of trips up and down the Read More...
How Argentina's battery-powered Tren Solar is recharging an ancient Andean route
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There are places where the land itself seems to generate energy. The Quebrada de Humahuaca in Jujuy province, in Argentina's far northwest, is one of them. At altitude, in clear desert air, the valley gets solar radiation that would be hard to match anywhere Read More...
Athens' former airport is becoming Europe's largest coastal urban park
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Two million square meters of former airport land in the southern suburbs of Athens are being converted into The Ellinikon Park. The park is designed to actively lower surrounding air temperatures, process 100 percent of its own rainfall on site, and keep more Read More...
From 2.6% to 97%: how South Korea eliminated food waste and what NYC can learn
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In Yeouido, Seoul, Seunghwan Hong spends less than a minute dropping off his food scraps. He taps a card, the lid opens, and the bin logs the weight. Whatever he throws in, he pays for. South Korea's food waste recycling rate was 2.6 percent in 1996. In Read More...