What do San Francisco and Wal-Mart have in common? A commitment to zero waste. The company joins a number of cities, including SF and Berkeley, around the state, country and world who are embracing a zero waste goal. The idea of zero waste is that idea of being able to create, use and recycling products without having to throw anything away. This long term goal by Wal-Mart is part of their "march towards sustainability" in hopes to reduce its solid waste in U.S. stores by 25 percent. Marc Gunther of Fortune Magazine reports on CNNMoney.com.

Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott has set a long-term goal of zero waste as part of the giant retailer's march towards sustainability. Over the next two years, Wal-Mart wants to reduce solid waste from its U.S. stores by 25 percent.

Scott's reasoning is simple: "If we had to throw it away, we had to buy it first. So we pay twice, once to get it, once to take it away." To Wal-Mart, less waste means lower costs.

The company's efforts have begun to bear fruit -- in part by actually recycling fruit.

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