Each year, almost half of the world's food is thrown away. Putting the wasted food to wider social and commercial use, start-up Rubies in the Rubble makes gourmet chutneys from surplus fruit and veg.

Food waste from restaurants and supermarkets in the US represents $165 billion of missed profit. Responding to this, PareUp caters to a conscious clientele by partnering with cafés and stores to promote surplus unsold foodstuffs, reducing waste and passing on discounts.

In a bid to reduce the four million tons of waste that Australia produces annually, designer Leyla Acaroglu has produced a 'good design' guide for better food storage, from clearer use-by date labels to freezer drawers that prevent forgetting food at the back.

New York's Mayor is rolling out a plan to compost the city's food scraps. Residents will keep their food waste in small containers, then deposit the contents into curbside bins for collection by sanitation trucks. Voluntary pilot schemes have been popular so far.