Textbook Recycling Repository

Latest News

31 Oct 2017 教科書資訊分享 (844KB)
24 Mar 2017 EDB e-Bulletin for Parents ─ 綠色生活從小開始課本重用由我做起 (195KB)
21 Mar 2017 Headline Daily「教育UPDATE」 ─ 環保用書　我做得到 (798KB)
16 Mar 2017 Smart Parents「教育熱話」─ 惜書節約　重用課本 (798KB)
26 Oct 2016 課本循環再用簡介 (798KB)
03 Jun 2015 Teacher Education Programme: Innovation Workshop on Textbook Recycling
08 May 2015 Textbook Recycling Promotional Video (Primary Schools) and (Secondary Schools)

Textbook Recycling Promotional Video (Primary Schools)

Textbook Recycling Promotional Video (Secondary Schools)

Our Policy

EDB strives to promote textbook recycling. We conduct seminar, school visits, and issue circular memorandum to schools annually, urging them to co-operate with Parent-Teacher Associations, Alumni Associations or environmental protection agencies in launching various kinds of textbook recycling programmes, such as the donation and sale of second-hand textbooks, as well as the buying of reference books and story books to loan to students and encouraging them to use recycled books. Through such activities, the environmental awareness of the students can be enhanced and the financial burden of the parents can be reduced. Moreover, we have implemented a series of measure to facilitate the recycling of second-hand textbooks (Please click here for details)

Home-school co-operation

Textbook recycling programme not only helps parents to reduce expenditure of buying textbooks, but also cultivates students’ positive attitudes, for example, being unwasteful, conserving Earth’s resources and not to deface textbooks. To roll out a successful textbook recycling programme, support from parents is essential. We encourage parents to actively participate in textbook donation, sale of second-hand textbooks as well as other forms of textbook recycling programmes launched by the schools, Parent-Teacher Associations, Alumni Associations, etc so as to act as a role model for their children.

Handful tips for organizing a second-hand textbooks sale programme:

Refer to the principles and guidelines listed in the EDB circular No. 10/2016 "Trading Operations in Schools" to understand thoroughly the relevant procedures;
Issue letter to parents to explain the objectives and arrangements of the programme. Details and agreements should be clearly stated, in which parents are free to decide whether to join the programme;
Accept books which are suitable for forthcoming school year only;
Avoid accepting worn out or defaced textbooks for sale;
Make good use of technology (e.g. barcode input system) to improve efficiency; and
Provide suggested price or set price limit of the books for parents' reference.

Good practices

EDB officers conduct school visits to collect information on how schools implement textbook recycling programmes, and to identify good practices for dissemination. Some examples are listed as follows:

Conducive Policies / Measures:

To facilitate the use of second-hand textbooks, the school requires the designated bookstore to provide students with the flexibility in purchasing textbooks, so that they can buy individual items from the school textbook list on a need basis and with the same discount rate.
Students, who have donated textbooks to the school, are given priority of receiving recycled textbooks for the next school year. In doing so, it gives impetus for using second-hand textbooks and helps reduce the labelling effect.
The school has gauged the number and class level of students who are in need of second-hand textbooks before appealing to students for donating textbooks. It minimises piling up too many unwanted textbooks.
The school is supportive of textbook recycling. Towards the end of the school year, the school encourages its senior form students to donate the used textbooks, or to sell them at a nominal price to junior form students.
The school judiciously selects textbooks based on pedagogical consideration. For example, the school only requires sixth form students to buy mathematics textbooks of the first semester. The school uses its own resources to buy mathematics textbooks of the second semester for students’ revision in class.

Cultural Inheritance:

With financial support from the school sponsoring body, some schools launch a textbook recycling scheme. Students joining the scheme have to sign a “Student Pledge”, and they are committed to keeping the textbooks clean and tidy so that the lower form schoolmates can reuse the textbooks in the next school term. The scheme helps students develop the habit of taking notes and the sense of caring for others.
The school sets up a “Caring Corner” encouraging students to donate old textbooks, school uniforms, etc to instil in students the caring culture and the virtue of preserving precious natural resources. The objectives and implementation details of the “Caring Corner” are printed on the student handbook for students and parents’ easy reference.

Reading Schemes:

Some schools have made use of their own resources to purchase Chinese and English readers for students to borrow. Different classes are allocated with different books at one time, and book rotation takes place regularly. This practice not only allows students to read more books, but also saves parents’ cost of buying them.
The school requires junior form students to buy one self-selected reader at the beginning of the school year. After finished reading their self-selected book, students have to swap the books among themselves in class, and share their reading experience. This practice not only helps promote the reading atmosphere in school, but also saves parents the cost of buying books.
The school sets up “Bookcrossing Corner” for students to leave their books for their schoolmates’ free pick-up and reading. It is not only earth-friendly, but also helps pass on the wisdoms of the books.

Home-school Cooperation:

Some schools have purchased textbooks of subjects like Music, Home Economics and Computer Literacy, etc and/or storybooks and dictionaries for students to borrow and/or use in class. The schools either bear the full cost by themselves, or share the cost with the Parent-Teacher Associations through a "matching fund". Such good practices might not only help alleviate the financial burden on parents, but also contribute to reducing the weight of schoolbags.
Some schools join hands with the parent-teacher association (PTA) to launch textbook donation programmes. The fund raised will either be donated to different charity organisations or used for sponsoring students in attending various kinds of learning activities.
The school has forged partnership with the parent-teacher association (PTA). Parent volunteers are willing to lend a helping hand with the collection and sorting of donated textbooks, so that the textbooks can be recycled for the use of other students. The arrangement not only reduces the school’s workload, but also enhances parents’ acceptance of textbook recycling.

We will continue to collect and disseminate the good practices of the schools on their experiences of organising textbook recycling programmes.