ABSTRACT
Modern production processes have been increasingly responsible for plastic overproduction for various reasons, not limited to containers and packaging. Said situation has reflected its consequences on human and animal health, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, it is imperative to consider the measures taken to reduce plastic contamination and the role of sustainability in plastic production processes. Previous studies and literature about the effects of plastics, the provisional standards, and programs to reduce contamination caused by this material have been analyzed in order to highlight its importance. Green businesses are also proposed as a more efficient solution to the problem of plastic overproduction. Some examples of small green businesses are presented to demonstrate the adoption of sustainable, eco-friendly measures in their business model and that even after some years, said models have proved to be effective by providing revenues and still following the ecological practices such as recycling different kinds of plastics and wastes. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to analyze the tourism sector globally and the creation of virtual tourism. It is presented along with the previous context of the sector and the damage made by the COVID-19 pandemic. This lens shows how virtual tourism emerged as an alternative to traditional tourism while people worldwide were forced to stay home during the uncertainty of the pandemic. Virtual tourism would be related to the arising environmental tendencies expected to be embraced by the industry companies to make tourism a more sustainable economic activity and, therefore, reduce its carbon footprint through circularity. Finally, it also analyses the possibility of its per durability once the consequences and lags of the pandemic are solved. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.