Today’s Solutions: May 01, 2024

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.

Friendship land hospital in Bangladesh, winner of the RIBA international world's best building

Small brick hospital in Bangladesh wins world's best building

This year, the recipient of the renowned Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) international prize for the world’s best building is a small brick hospital situated in rural Bangladesh. The architect, director of Urbana Kashef Chowdhury, managed to create a functional yet elegant Read More...

child in yellow rain coat holds sign reading: THERE'S NO PLANET B

High-schooler presents first student-written bill for UK climate education

Youth climate activist Scarlett Westbrook decided that she was fed up with the lack of formal education UK students receive on the devastating climate crisis. At one point during a geography exam, she was even asked to list the benefits of climate change — and while this was disappointing, she Read More...

Healthy Kombucha SCOBY

Recruiting kombucha in the fight for sustainable drinking water

We’ve previously reported about the use of kombucha for a number of innovative reasons. Like stylish compostable shoes, sustainable wood alternatives, and as the key ingredient to boosting your brain and gut health. This time kombucha is helping us humans out in a different walk of life, water Read More...

Tel-Aviv at sunset with purple sky

Tel-Aviv could soon follow Amsterdam in adopting Doughnut Economics

In April 2020, we wrote about Amsterdam’s decision to implement a new economic model that seeks to meet the core needs of all humanity within the means of the planet. Now, a forum dedicated to advancing the adoption of this concept across the world was launched in Israel last week. The concept Read More...

Conveyor belt above heap of sawdust

Scientists use wood waste and water to create sustainable disinfectant

While the use of disinfectants has already been a regular thing for many people when cleaning their homes, the pandemic has called for unprecedented sanitization of our close surroundings.  While good at their job, some disinfectants, such as chlorine-based ones, are actually environmentally Read More...

Goldie the porcupine pufferfish during and after emergency dental procedure

Goldie the porcupine pufferfish is thriving after emergency dental work

Did you know that porcupine pufferfish teeth, which are known as beaks, never stop growing throughout the fish’s life? “They’re usually kept short naturally, as they’re worn down on their regular diet of hard-shelled foods,” explains veterinary surgeon Daniel Calvo Carrasco, a specialist Read More...

ByFusion blocks along wall in neighborhood

These recycled plastic blocks offer a constructive solution for plastic pollution

At The Optimist Daily, we never tire of sharing solutions that tackle the gargantuan problem of plastic pollution. Single-use non-recyclable plastic products are prolific in this day and age, and present an undeniably challenging problem for us, for the world’s ecosystems, and for all the Read More...

Torn pieces of textiles floating in the air

Designers turn unrecyclable clothes into high-quality textiles

One of the biggest environmental concerns regarding textiles is that most of them are difficult to recycle once they reach the end of their use. This is because these materials typically contain a variety of types of fibers, quality levels, and colors, which makes sorting difficult on an industrial Read More...

Estonia's capital, Tallinn, at sunset

What cities around the world can learn from Europe’s greenest capital

While an increasing number of major cities are striving to become more climate-friendly, one particular European capital stands out with its sustainability efforts so far. It’s no other than Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, whose notable climate measures have won it the title of the European Green Read More...

Fish poop feeds world’s larg

Fish poop feeds world’s largest vertical farm

Almost the size of two entire city blocks, a sprawling new building under construction in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, will soon hold the title of the world’s largest indoor vertical farm. The building, which occupies an area of about 250,000 square feet, is slated for completion in Read More...