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Sainsbury's supermarket in Leicester, which opens today, is one of two "triple-zero" stores the retailer has just opened. It emits zero CO2 from all operational energy used, zero waste goes to landfill, and the store has zero impact on the water usage of the local catchment area because of its "water-neutral" status, the UK grocery chain says.

Live Zero is part of a growing movement of "zero-waste" supermarkets that aim to end packaging waste by doing away with packaging altogether. The concept began in Europe more than a decade ago, and has since spread globally. There are now zero waste supermarkets from Brooklyn to Sicily to Malaysia to South Africa.

Net zero energy (NZE) buildings-responsible for the production of as much (or more) clean energy as they use annually-have been gaining global momentum. In our newly released Insight Brief, RMI presents an innovative business model for developing net zero energy or ultra-low energy districts in a way that creates significant business value. Net zero energy business models are financially attractive to investors because the large capital investments in solar PV, district heating and cooling, and energy efficiency are repaid over time on utility bills, generating a steady return that benefits from enhanced credit because of the utility-customer relationship.

A zero waste program for the plastics industry is expected to result in about $200,000 in new revenue for its first participant. Following the launch of its zero waste program earlier this year, SPI: The Plastics Trade Association has recognized its first Zero Net Waste recognized company. Thermoplastic provider The Minco Group achieved the designation after diverting 88 percent of its total manufacturing waste from landfill. The company also projects a revenue increase of about $20,000 for 2017 from its recycling efforts.

Last month, the World Green Building Council announced its ambitious new project, Advancing Net Zero, which aims to make all buildings net zero by 2050. Here are five companies that are providing first-rate technology, building products and services that have been and will continue to be important tools for the evolution of net zero buildings.

Microsoft's zero waste efforts have earned it the US Zero Waste Business Council's highest certification level at its Redmond, Washington campus, making Microsoft the first technology company to achieve zero waste facility certification.

Microsoft has achieved the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council's Gold Level of Zero Waste Certification for its Redmond corporate campus by diverting at least 90% of onsite waste from landfills. Microsoft is the first technology company in the country to achieve this certification.

The World Green Building Council launched an initiative to create an enabling environment that allows all buildings to generate clean power and produce zero net emissions worldwide by 2050. The Council and its partners will collaborate to develop regionally specific net zero certifications and standards, and training programs for practitioners.

Companies looking to implement a zero-waste-to-landfill strategy should consider conducting a waste audit and create a targeted plan to divert each waste material, writes Gina-Marie Cheeseman. "[Zero-waste-to-landfill] goals should be pursued as a process for achieving continuous improvement," says Thomas Stanczyk, sustainable waste solutions strategist for Covanta Environmental Solutions.

For a growing number of companies, fighting climate change is a zero-sum game. In late September, several organizations associated with nonprofit sustainability outfit The B Team declared a "net zero by 2050" (PDF) aspiration pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions. Among them: consumer products giant Unilever; apparel company Kering; Chinese construction company Broad Group; African telecommunications carrier Econet; Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura; and British-born investment group Virgin - a geographically diverse group that underscores the global nature of climate challenges.

Dozens of major companies including ABC Disney, Whole Foods and Anheuser-Busch with offices in New York City have diverted at least half of their waste from landfills and incineration, responding to Mayor Bill de Blasio's zero waste by 2030 challenge. Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/07/13/major-nyc-businesses-cut-waste-50-but-can-they-achieve-zero-waste-by-2030/#ixzz4FZDgXzbr

What must be done and why consumer goods companies must step up their efforts to meet the 2020 goal of zero deforestation

Big Heart Pet Brands' Milk-Bone bakery in Buffalo, New York, has sent zero waste to landfill for five years, reducing its CO2 emissions by more than 18,000 tons. Since 2008, Milk-Bone has recycled more than 21 million pounds of materials via its zero landfill initiative. This has saved more than 18 million kWh of electricity, 17 million gallons of water, 9,000 barrels of oil, 45,000 mature

Mars Chocolate North America achieved zero-waste-to-landfill at all 10 of its manufacturing facilities. The company plans to achieve zero-waste to-landfill across all business segments by 2015.

Last year, Michelin announced it no longer would procure rubber from deforested lands. It set about working with suppliers and regional governments to encourage sustainable forestry. Michelin's zero deforestation policy led other tire makers Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental to also begin working towards zero deforestation in rubber procurement. Now, GM is also adopting a zero deforestation stance in its tire procurement policy. The largest U.S. automaker (in market capitalization) in June declared that it would buy only tires with rubber sourced from sustainably grown forests. In addition, the company announced plans to work with other automakers and tire manufacturers to come up with an industry response

Amsterdam-based association Zero Waste Europe is developing a project to empower community groups across Europe to challenge wasteful products and facilitate stakeholder collaboration on their redesign. 'The People's Design Lab' is expected to launch in June, but with only one week left in its campaign, Zero Waste Europe has raised just over €4,500 of its €8,000 goal.

The Net Zero Plus Electric Training Institute has opened in Los Angeles. The facility, considered the largest retrofit net-zero project in the US, will serve as a training facility and should produce more energy than it uses.

Nestlé Purina's Oklahoma City manufacturing facility has achieved zero waste to landfill status, Purina's seventh location to achieve this target. Nestlé has pledged to be landfill-free at all of its global locations by 2020.

Nestlé pledged to achieve zero waste-to-landfill status at all 150 of its European factories by 2020. So far, over 25 of the company's European factories have already achieved this milestone.

A report by Frost & Sullivan found that government funding is making zero-energy buildings possible, but the idea is not widely known. "While governmental or regional funding are the main drivers of NZEB technologies, public-private funding is the most effective in sustaining the application of the NZEB concept and advancing its development globally," said Technical Insights industry analyst Jennifer Tan.