Members of public are encouraged to donate textbooks at 159 donation points across all FairPrice stores, including FairPrice Finest supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra Hypermarkets, Warehouse Club and FairPrice Xpress outlets
FairPrice targets to collect 400,000 books this year as part of efforts to care for the environment and community, in addition to the 4.3 million books collected since the initiative started
For the first time, public are invited to volunteer in sorting, setting up and distributing the textbooks

SINGAPORE, 9 November 2016 – NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice) today launched its annual Share-A-Textbook project, now into its 34th year, where the public is invited to donate their used textbooks and for the first time ever, to participate in this nation-wide community initiative. Since its commencement in 1983, the project has seen 4.3 million books collected, aiding in the reduction of paper waste, while serving the needs of the less fortunate in the community. It targets to collect 400,000 textbooks as part of this year’s efforts.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO (Singapore), NTUC FairPrice, said, “Each donation to the FairPrice Share-A-Textbook project is more than just a book – we also share knowledge, memories and love with those who benefit from them, as we play in part in serving low-income families. The initiative is also an extension of our commitment to ensure that sustainability is a key priority for FairPrice and the community, through facilitating the reusing and reducing of paper waste. We recognise that the success of Share-A-Textbook is attributed to support from donors, partners and volunteers, and for the first time, we are excited to invite the public to sign up as volunteers to be involved in these meaningful efforts to give back.”

Members of the public are invited to donate used textbooks at 159 donation points across all FairPrice stores, including FairPrice Finest supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra Hypermarkets, Warehouse Club and FairPrice Xpress outlets from now to 4 December 2016.

Working hand-in-hand with the community

To ensure that books reach beneficiaries that are in need, FairPrice works with volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) and Community Development Councils (CDCs) to shortlist students from low-income families who will be given priority to collect textbooks a day before access is given to the general public. About 20,000 students between the ages of 7 to 16 years have been registered under this priority scheme.

Guest-of-Honour Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Trade and Industry, added, “The Share-A-Textbook initiative has benefitted the community immensely over the years, especially the less-privileged families with school-going children. The sharing of these textbooks helps to inculcate the spirit of thrift, as well as foster a deep desire – among not just adults but children too – to contribute to fellow students, neighbours and others around us. It is a good example of how organisations, communities and individuals can come together and work alongside each other to create a more caring society.”

Gan Eng Seng School, Yio Chu Kang Secondary School and Warehouse Club will return as community partners, alongside new partners, Changi City Point and City Square Mall. These locations will serve as distribution centres for the collection process. The public is invited to pick up used textbooks at these five locations on distribution day held on 11 December 2016.

Call for volunteers from the public

Beyond promoting recycling and helping needy students, FairPrice also seeks to galvanise the community to do good and spread some cheer through the FairPrice Share-A-Textbook Project. For the first time since the Share-A-Textbook Project was launched, the public can join in and be directly involved in this heritage community initiative to better understand how it has been doing good in the community for more than three decades. The public is invited to register their interest and participation through email at fptextbook@fairprice.com.sg.

To date, some 450 volunteers from over 170 supporting partners, schools and FairPrice staff are coming forward to help bring the Share-A-Textbook project to fruition this year. These volunteers will assist in areas such as logistics, promotion, mass community collection, sorting and distribution of the textbooks.

Sustainability through Share-A-Textbook

Beyond serving the community, sustainability is a key priority for FairPrice and its stakeholders. Share-A-Textbook contributes toward FairPrice’s goal of caring for the environment and making lives better, through the reusing and reducing waste of paper. This is one aspect of FairPrice’s environmental efforts, in addition to large-scale initiatives such as the Green Rewards Scheme to reduce the use of plastic bags, and the FairPrice Food Waste Reduction Programme. Accountability towards such programmes has also been enhanced through the launch of FairPrice’s first sustainability report this year.

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