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HarperCollins has joined forces with not-for-profit recycling programme Wastebuster on its "recycle to read" campaign, which aims to develop a UK wide infrastructure for the recycling of hard to recycle plastics, and engage children in environmental education by showing them the value of their old and unwanted toys.
Phase one of the programme, currently in the pilot stage, will see toy and tech takeback collections organised in schools throughout the UK. HarperCollins will reward participating schools with a hand-picked list of fiction and non-fiction selected for the campaign. Books from the Collins, Farshore and HarperCollins Children’s Books imprints are included, all available at 30% less than r.r.p. for all schools collecting old toys and tech in exchange for vouchers to pay for books.
Katy Newnham, founder of Wastebuster, said: "It’s fantastic to be able to announce that the recycle to read campaign will be working with HarperCollins to reward schools with books for their participation in the scheme. It is really saddening to think one in eight of the most disadvantaged children in the UK don’t own a single book and one in eight schools don’t have a library. We will be working with the National Literacy Trust, to prioritise and support the most deprived schools in the UK and we are very grateful to be able to offer some wonderful books from one of the UKs most prestigious two children’s publishers as rewards to our schools.
"Toys are so important in children’s lives, what better way to engage them, than through what happens to their toys when they can’t be played with anymore and rewarding them with exciting books for taking part. The recycle to read programme will work with all major UK children’s magazine publishers and HarperCollins, to harness the power of entertainment for social change—to inspire and empower children to care for the environment. We are now looking forward to inviting the toy industry to join us on the next phase of this exciting journey, to help give children the tools and mindset to work towards a more sustainable future."
Alex Beecroft, managing director at Collins Learning, added: "We are very pleased that HarperCollins is able to be part of this innovative programme, which will both get great books into school libraries and the hands of young readers at no cost to the schools, while also raising awareness of environmental issues and getting pupils involved. We can’t wait to see the results of the programme and start sending the schools some fantastic children’s fiction, non-fiction and school books from across our Collins, Farshore and HarperCollins Children’s Books publishing divisions—there really will be something for everyone."