Cork-Founded Toy Sharing Platform Launches Christmas Campaign to Cut Waste and Save Money

The Toy Library, Ireland's first toy sharing platform founded in Cork, is encouraging families to share pre-owned toys this Christmas through its Circular Christmas campaign, offering a free way to reduce waste and ease financial pressure during the festive season.

The social enterprise, established in Cork in 2024, has grown to 2,700 members nationwide and provides a free platform where families can upload photos of toys they wish to pass on and use geo-location to find suitable toys in their locality for collection.

Giorgia Anile, founder of The Toy Library, said:

"Christmas is a really expensive time for many families and can cause a huge amount of stress for parents. We would strongly encourage people to check out The Toy Library and see if there's anything available that can help ease that pressure and also help to reduce the amount of plastic being wasted every year. The platform is great for toys like dolls or bigger items like playhouses and scooters."

The initiative aims to address the environmental impact of plastic toys whilst providing sustainable and affordable options for parents and accessible experiences for children.

Conor Meldrum, who has used the platform, said:

"Just before my son's birthday I asked him how we could make space in the house for any more toys and he suggested using The Toy Library. Together we sorted his toys and took cool photos of the ones he wanted to give to other children. One of the five toys has already found a new home and my son was delighted to know that it would bring joy and happiness to another child. We will definitely be using it again in the lead up to Christmas."

The Toy Library hosts Swap and Play events around the country throughout the year in collaboration with local authorities and businesses. Those interested in booking an event for 2026 can contact Giorgia Anile at giorgia@thetoylibrary.ie.