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.

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.

A new $700 billion opportunity has emerged from the unlikeliest of places: the bin. As sustainability goes mainstream, smart businesses are adding value to their brands by making sustainability cool, cost-effective and convenient.

With an estimated 300 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables wasted each year, the European Union has christened 2014 as the "Year against Food Waste". French supermarket Intermarche has responded by challenging perceptions of 'ugly' fruits and vegetables.