On Tuesday December 10, 2024, at the Raguidelles elementary school in Suresnes (92), Dominique Mignon, President of Ecomaison, and Étienne Champion, Recteur de l'académie de Versailles, signed a partnership agreement to extend the educational project, which combines teaching and raising awareness of the second life of toys, to almost 230 schools in the Académie.
Building on the success of the first editions in 2022 and 2023, the project has mobilized some 80,000 students and nearly 20 local associations. Around 20 tonnes of toys and games (non-electrical and non-electronic) were collected, and 53% of them were reused (i.e. more than one toy in two).
The "Je le donne / Je le sauve" toy donation and reuse campaign will run this year from November 18, 2024 to January 20, 2025 in 228 schools in the Versailles education authority.
A program to learn how to save toys
Launched in 2022 through a partnership between Ecomaison and the Versailles education authority, the "Je le donne / Je le sauve" (I give it / I save it) pilot project aims to help educate young people and those around them about solidarity and Sustainable Development, alongside players in the Social and Solidarity Economy.
Conceived around a toy collection held in schools, this partnership is an opportunity to develop a wide range of learning activities for pupils.
During these two months, the participating schools entrust the toys collected to a local association, which then sorts and cleans them so that they can be reused as much as possible! Toys that are too damaged or broken are recycled.
A proven pedagogical and educational virtue
The partnership between the Académie de Versailles and Ecomaison offers a number of pedagogical and educational opportunities around the issue of sustainable development andeco-citizenship:
- Development and mobilization of knowledge (moral and civic education, science, French, arts, etc.).
- Work on civic engagement and citizenship by mobilizing children's interest in an object they know - a toy.
- Raising awareness of sustainable development issues, including the fight against waste and the challenges of solidarity and social reintegration.
This project is also an ideal opportunity to deepen or launch a more global approach to sustainable development (E3D) in schools.
With 92% of participating schools ready to repeat the operation, the educational and pedagogical value of this partnership is beyond doubt.
A project for the entire educational community and beyond
The partnership between Ecomaison and the Académie de Versailles is an opportunity to unite the entire school community of the participating school around a common project and shared values:
- Interaction with classes of all levels.
- Commitment of all teachers to building a pathway for students.
- Family involvement: 60% of participating schools felt that the project had enabled them to establish a special bond with their families.
Thanks to this partnership, the nursery and elementary schools involved also have the opportunity to deepen their links with local associations, resourceries and solidarity stores.
This year, all donations will be entrusted to 13 social economy associations in the Ile-de-France region: Ressourcerie IMAJ, Yoti, La Recyclerie du Gâtinais, La fabrique à Neuf VYVS, Ressourcerie la Mine, La Rascasse, Association Aptima, Emmaüs Coup de Main, Rejoué, EBE BAM Emplois Services, Association Le Maillon, Emmaüs Défi, La P'tite boutique des Créneaux - Association Espaces.
Ecomaison develops the toy industry
Since the creation of the toy reuse and recycling network in 2022, Ecomaison has organized a number of operations to develop solidarity-based donation and reuse. This year, the "Je le donne / Je le sauve" operation is also being extended on an experimental basis to 12 establishments in the Créteil academy. "Operations such as "Je le donne / Je le sauve" (I give it / I save it) with schools, "Laisse Parler Ton Coeur" (Let Your Heart Speak) collections with local authorities, and "Sauveurs de Jouets" (Toy Savers) operations at summer beach clubs, are real levers for developing sorting habits among youngsters. At the same time, Ecomaison has deployed more than 5,000 collection points in public rubbish bins and toy stores.