Sir – We should all welcome the proposal to replace the polystyrene packaging used for fast food with biodegradable materials.

Banbury Road, just north of Oxford city centre, is littered on a constant basis by people who finish their meal on their way out of town.

Many stuff their cartons into hedges or throw them over walls, no doubt thinking this is an improvement on dropping them in the street. (In fairness to them, there are not many bins.) It is one of our current absurdities that food eaten within minutes is sold in packaging that may last hundreds of years.

Much the same could be said about some confectionery.

Margaret Pelling, Oxford