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Winmark Corporation: Buy, Sell, Trade Businesses Make It Easy to Be Green

Business Wire, Sept 14, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS -- Thirty-five years ago, Kermit The Frog lamented in his famous song that "it's not easy being green." Perhaps his tune has changed a bit in recent years as the nation's green movement continues to grow and evolve.

Corporations are becoming more environmentally conscious and adopting sustainability policies and practices. All levels of government are considering their role in regulating disposal practices in order to reduce the landfill volume and hazardous waste materials. And consumers are becoming more conscientious about their own practices and expecting far more accountability from businesses and government.

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While "green" is a term that is still evolving, "reduce, reuse, recycle" is a well-established environmental protection model that's growing stronger and broader. Winmark Corporation recognized a niche within the growing environmental movement nearly 25 years ago when the first Play It Again Sports store opened and paved the way for a family of retail franchise store brands -- Once Upon A Child[R], Plato's Closet[R] and Music Go Round[R] -- whose premise is recycling and reusing.

The stores provide opportunities for people to sell or trade in quality used merchandise they no longer want or need, while enabling shoppers to purchase great merchandise with plenty of useable life for a savings. "Sellers get cash, shoppers save money, and the landfills get some relief from products that may have otherwise been tossed," explained Merry Beth Hovey, Winmark vice president of marketing.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency statistics indicate that plastics, metals, rubber, leather and textiles account for more than 25 percent of the approximately 4.5 pounds of trash that the average U.S. resident produces each day.

These are common elements in the clothing, shoes, toys, sporting goods, instruments that Winmark stores buy and sell: Play It Again Sports focuses on sporting goods, Once Upon a Child covers children's clothing and merchandise, Plato's Closet addresses teen and young adult clothing and accessories, and Music Go Round's focus is musical instruments and equipment.

Winmark's stores also target products that can be reused in their current form, which means that little or no additional energy is needed to make them usable again, beyond basic cleaning or sterilizing.

Business Services Industry

Winmark Corporation: Buy, Sell, Trade Businesses Make It Easy to Be Green

Business Wire, Sept 14, 2007

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