What hidden motives lurk behind our relationship with waste? Martin O'Brien, author of A Crisis of Waste? and Jeff Ferrell, author of Empire of Scrounge, visit the Thinking Allowed studios to sift through the competing ways of understanding refuse. Also, Carol Smart from Manchester University talks about a new study which finds that love is more important than money for same sex couples seeking to tie the knot.

Did you know it's estimated nearly 30 per cent of the food Britons buy is wasted? The Open University's Wendy Maples explores this and a new approach called ‘Freeganism’, an attempt to redress food wastefulness. Read the article by following the links below then share your views using our comments facility. 

Thinking Allowed is on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesdays at 4.00pm and repeated on Monday mornings at 12.15am. Full transmission details, and listen again links, can be found on bbc.co.uk.