BACK TO SCHOOL SWAPPING

Backpack give & take campaign as costs skyrocket

- BY KEITH FALKINER

RECYCLING and reusing old products has never been more important.

And with the costs for families sending kids back to school next month set to skyrocket, parents are being urged to recycle popular school products.

Now Ireland's first toy sharing platform, The Toy Library, is encouraging people across the country to redistribute school equipment like bags and pencil cases to support the environment and the circular economy.

The Toy Library's Back-To-School campaign also looks to relieve the financial pressures of what is considered one of the most expensive times of the year for parents.

The campaign invites families to donate preowned school bags and equipment that are in good condition by taking a picture of the item and sharing it on The Toy Library website.

The initiative involves using the platform's geo-location to find pre-loved school bags in a person's locality or in locations across the country.

The website is free and allows families to browse the library and request items for collection.