Cao Hui, member of the 13th CPPCC national committee, summons more efforts in combating the eco-threats generated by the nation's booming takeout services in an interview with People.cn at the ongoing annual political consultative session in Beijing. [Photo/fj.people.cn]

Cao Hui, member of the 13th CPPCC national committee, has called for more efforts in combating the eco-threats generated by the nation's booming takeout services.

The online food delivery sector in China has entered a stage of explosive growth. Statistics show that, in 2017, roughly 300 million people in the country ordered takeout via the internet. In December 2015, the number was 114 million.

While the services bringing huge convenience, problems have arisen and are pestering the country.

The non-biodegradable plastic bags and boxes used to wrap and deliver the food, which currently dominate in the market owing to low costs, are set to plague the environment for decades, given that most packaging ends up in landfills or incinerators. Meanwhile, mass provision of single-use wooden chopsticks is depleting natural resources.

The issue, in recent years, has raised great public concern.

In the proposal to the conference, Cao, also vice president of Fuyao Group, a Fuzhou-based automobile glass provider, attached great importance to the precautions against the issue, calling for national standards on packaging in the sector.