Design
This eco-friendly brick is made almost entirely out of construction waste
The hefty carbon footprint of our built environment is one of the main contributors to the climate crisis. And while it’s essential that we find smarter, more efficient ways to operate our buildings, it is of equal importance to reduce the embodied carbon of the building materials that we use in Read More...
This bill will require all new public buildings to be bird-friendly
Birds, often migratory ones, are known to fly into the reflective facades of glass buildings. In fact, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimates almost one billion birds are killed annually from collisions with buildings in the US. In order to protect birds from this fate, the US House of Read More...
These clothes are made of biomaterials and unused fabric to tackle waste
With millions of tons of waste being generated by the global apparel market every year, it’s nice to see an increasing number of designers coming up with ideas to rethink the way clothes are produced within the industry. The latest of such initiatives come from London designer Alexander Taylor Read More...
Got milk? These shirts made from spoiled dairy sure do
You know the saying there’s no use crying over spilled milk? Well for LA-based startup Mi Terro, spilled milk truly is a new opportunity. The company is using biotechnology to turn a portion of the 128 million tons of milk wasted every year into sustainable fibers for biodegradable Read More...
Could these reusable containers remove single-use plastics from delivery?
Food delivery has spiked in the wake of the pandemic, thus increasing the use of disposable plastic associated with takeaway packaging. Needless to say, this has only amplified the global plastic crisis. It's also highlighted the urgent need to redesign the food delivery sector, which is worth Read More...
Japan’s new bullet train will keep running even during a natural disaster
Japan has long been ahead of the game when it comes to trains. The country’s bullet trains not only hit speeds of over 200MPH with ease, but they’re also notoriously punctual. Its latest train model, however, is taking Japanese transportation to new heights. The new train is called the N700S, Read More...
Each purchase of these bags made from recycled plastic plants a tree
Here at The Optimist Daily, we love designers that integrate sustainability deep into the fabric of their products. Solo New York is the type of brand that does exactly that, quite literally. A leading, city-inspired designer of backpacks, the company recently announced the launch of its exciting Read More...
These glasses allow people with color blindness to experience more hues
At least 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women suffer from red-green color vision deficiency (CVD), totaling 13 million in the US and 350 million worldwide. While those with normal color vision see in excess of one million hues and shades, those with CVD see a vastly diminished range of colors. Read More...
This instant ramen packaging dissolves into spices and sauces
If you’ve ever made yourself instant ramen, you’ll know the process involves putting dry noodles in a bowl, dispersing the flavored contents of a plastic sachet into the bowl, and adding hot water. It’s simple, but the problem is the sachets aren’t recyclable and are one of the biggest Read More...
Evian introduces a label-free, 100% recycled plastic bottle
When a plastic bottle ends up in a recycling plant, the label attached to it usually isn’t recycled. This is because the labels are made from a different type of plastic than the PET used in bottles. And while they’re technically recyclable, most recycling facilities don’t have the adequate Read More...