No one has tabulated the amount of plastic waste that comes from takeout orders—which have surged in popularity since app-based ordering services such as Seamless, Postmates, Uber Eats, and Caviar have made the experience more convenient for people. What experts do know is that people use and discard an enormous amount of plastic, contributed to by the takeout economy.

The total amount of plastic created since humans first started making it is estimated to be more than 8.3 billion metric tons (pdf). Here’s the real kicker: 91% of plastic isn’t recycled.

Consider a single plastic bottle: It takes more than 500 years to biodegrade. And plastic is everywhere. There’s a giant island of the stuff floating in the north-central Pacific Ocean. It’s even in snow. Read more ...