Luxembourg revitalises school books through 'Upbooking'

As the school year draws to a close, many textbooks become dusty relics on shelves - or simply end up in rubbish bins. This seemingly innocuous gesture has serious environmental consequences: tonnes of paper, plastic and paint used in their production are wasted. The Luxembourg Ministry of Education, Childhood and Youth is offering an environmentally friendly alternative - the Upbooking campaign, now in its third year.

The main aim of the initiative is to inspire secondary education students to exchange textbooks that are no longer needed with other students who will need them next year. This not only promotes smart consumption and resource conservation, but also reduces the amount of waste associated with the educational process.

At the centre of the campaign is the www.upbooking.lu digital platform, where any student can create an account for free, post ads for available books or find the textbooks they need with just a few clicks. The site turns sharing into an organised and convenient process, making the textbook cycle a reality.

In addition, as part of the free textbook policy introduced in the 2018/2019 school year, the ministry encourages the reuse of books: students who receive compulsory textbooks from other students receive a voucher equal to 50 per cent of their value in new condition. This makes sustainable behaviour not only an environmental choice, but also a financially rewarding one.