Terms and Conditions

Recycle to Read Toys Campaign 2025-26

Terms and Conditions

1. Definitions

• “the Campaign”
  Refers to the Recycle to Read Toys Campaign 2025-26, a nationwide toy recycling initiative delivered by Wastebuster) in association with Products of Change in collaboration with its partners, with the support of its members.
• “Eligible School”
  Any school located in mainland England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland with pupils aged 4 to 11 years that meets the participation criteria for the Campaign.
• “Participating School”
  An Eligible School that has registered to take part in the Recycle to Read Toys Campaign 2025-26 via The Pod and is actively taking part in the Campaign.
• “The Pod”
  Wastebuster’s free environmental education and campaign platform used for school registration and accessing Campaign resources (The Pod).
• “Planet Care Points”
  Points awarded for each registered recycling visit. Each individual recycling visit earns one point (regardless of the number of toys recycled) that is allocated to a nominated Participating School. These points determine a school’s ranking on the School Leaderboard and its eligibility for prizes.
• “Book Voucher Code”
  A code issued as a reward or prize during the Campaign. Each voucher holds a credit redeemable exclusively for books from the Collins Recycle to Read book catalogue.
• “Discount Code”
  A code provided to enable schools to purchase books at a discounted price from the Collins Recycle to Read book catalogue, subject to on-screen instructions. Users should also refer to the FAQs on the catalogue page for usage details.
• “School Leaderboard”
  A ranking system displayed on the Campaign website that lists Participating Schools in order of the total Planet Care Points they have earned (Leaderboard).
• “Community Champion”
  A Tesco employee nominated for exceptional initiative in promoting the Campaign to colleagues and/or the local community, and who is eligible for entry into the Community Champions Competition.
• “Toy Rehoming Event”
  An event organised by a Participating School to rehome (pass on) toys in good condition. Schools hosting such events may claim an additional 50 bonus Planet Care Points (subject to verification) by submitting a photo and event details (including date, description, school name, and postcode) to info@recycletoread.org. All toy rehoming events must be conducted in accordance with the British Toy and Hobbycraft Association (BTHA) guidelines for safe toy rehoming.
• “Promoter”
  Wastebuster CIC (company number: 05883640), whose registered address is The Bothy, Albury Park, Albury, Guildford, Surrey, GU5 9BH.
• “Campaign Partners”
  The Campaign Partners are: Wastebuster, Products of Change, Tesco PLC, Mattel, Operational Partners and Members of Recycle to Read.

2. Participation

2.1 Eligibility

• The Campaign is open to Eligible Schools and to private individuals recycling their own broken hard plastic toys on behalf of a school. Businesses, retailers, manufacturers, or other non-household entities are not permitted to use this service.

2.2 Registration

• Schools: To participate, an Eligible School must register for a free account on The Pod if they do not already have an account, and then sign up for the Recycle to Read Toys Campaign. Only registered (Participating) Schools are eligible to receive Planet Care Points and redeem book rewards.
• Individuals: Private individuals may support a Participating School by scanning the QR code on a Recycle to Read collection unit and registering their recycling visit by completing the form on the Get Points page on the Campaign website.

2.3 Recycling Process and Toy Acceptance

Accepted Items

• Only small, broken, hard plastic toys are accepted for recycling. Toys must be clean, dry, and not enclosed in plastic bags. Toys may include minor parts made from materials such as metal, rubber, or synthetic hair.

Excluded Items

The Campaign does NOT accept:

• Toys with batteries or electronic/electrical components including solar panels (these should be recycled separately at dedicated e‑waste collection points, e.g. Recycle Your Electricals);
• Toys with fabric parts;
• Plush or soft toys;
• Wooden toys;
• Board games (except for small hard plastic parts they contain);
• Slime or rubber toys;
• Toy packaging;
• Sit‑on toys with wheels;
• Inflatables;
• Any toy that does not fit into the designated collection bin.

Collection Procedure

• Broken hard plastic toys should be taken to a designated collection bin at a participating Tesco store. Bins are typically located behind the tills, often near battery and water filter collection points. If a collection bin is full, please do not leave toys beside it; instead, visit another participating store or return on a later day.

Manual Registration

• If you forget to scan the QR code on the bin, you can register your recycling visit via the “Get Points” page on the Recycle to Read website.

2.4 Participating Tesco Stores

• A list of participating Tesco stores is provided on the recycling point map on the Campaign website.

2.5 Additional Guidance

• If a toy is still in good condition, please consider rehoming it rather than recycling, as rehoming is better for the environment.
• If an individual wishes to earn points for more than one school during the same store visit, separate recycling visits must be registered—using different email addresses or by registering on different days.

3. Voucher and Discount Codes

3.1 Issuance and Value

• Book voucher codes are issued as rewards or prizes in increments of £5 (i.e. £5, £10, £15, etc.) up to £100. For values above £100, vouchers are issued in multiples of £100 (i.e. £100, £200, £300, etc.). The minimum voucher value is £5.
• Discount codes may also be issued for use when purchasing books from the Collins Recycle to Read book catalogue.

3.2 Redemption

• Schools and individuals must follow the on-screen instructions on Collins Recycle to Read book catalogue to redeem voucher or discount codes.
• Only one voucher or discount code may be used per transaction.
• Voucher codes may only be redeemed once and have no cash value. If the cost of the books exceeds the voucher value, the balance must be paid by other means; any unused voucher value is forfeited.

3.3 Free Postage

• Orders placed using a prize book voucher code will include free postage and packaging (valued at £2.95). This offer does not apply to discount codes.

3.4 Expiry and Liability

• Voucher codes issued as part of the Campaign will expire 12 months from the date of issue (unless otherwise specified) and cannot be reissued or refunded if lost or redeemed without the consent of the recipient.

4. School Leaderboard Competition

4.1 How to Enter

• Eligible Schools must register on The Pod and sign up for the Campaign. Upon registration, the school’s name will appear in the drop-down list on the “Get Points” page  and, once points are earned, on the School Leaderboard.
• Schools are automatically entered into the Competition to collect the highest number of Planet Care Points. Points are awarded for each registered recycling visit (see Clause 4.5).
• No purchase is necessary to enter any part of this Campaign.

4.2 Leaderboard Closure and Book Rewards

• • At 12:00 midday (GMT) on Wednesday 8th July 2026, the School Leaderboard will close, and the top 200 schools will win book vouchers worth between £30 and £500, based on their final ranking*.
  • Winning schools can use their vouchers to choose from an exciting range of fiction and non-fiction titles for ages 4–11 from the Collins Recycle to Read Book Catalogue.
    • Rank 1: £500 voucher code
    • Ranks 2-3: £300 voucher code
    • Ranks 4-10: £200 voucher code
    • Ranks 11-25: £100 voucher code
    • Ranks 26–50: £75 voucher code each
    • Ranks 51–100: £50 voucher code each
    • Ranks 101–200: £30 voucher code each
  • Voucher codes for Leaderboard rewards will be emailed to winning schools.

4.3 Donation Option

• A winning school may request to donate its prize voucher to another UK school or community group that supports children aged 4–11 years. Such requests must be made in writing by emailing info@wastebuster.co.uk. In the absence of a donation request, Wastebuster will, where possible, prioritise selection of schools based on the free school meals (FSM) index as measured by the National Literacy Trust.

4.4 Competition Terms and Liability

• All prizes are subject to availability and no cash alternative or substitution is available.
• Wastebuster’s decision on winners is final.
• Wastebuster reserves the right to substitute prizes, or modify, suspend, or withdraw the Competition at any time without prior notice.
• In the instance where there is a tie with the number of Planet Care Points more than one school has earned, the school that was first to earn that ranking will retain it.
• Wastebuster does not limit its liability where such limitation is unlawful (including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for fraud/fraudulent misrepresentation). Except as specified, Wastebuster, its employees, officers, and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the Competition.
• These terms shall be governed by the laws of the United Kingdom, with any dispute subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland as applicable.

4.5 Planet Care Points

Standard Recycling

• Individuals may register their toy recycling visit only once per day. Each registration earns a maximum of one Planet Care Point per day—regardless of the number of toys recycled—which is awarded to the nominated Participating School.
  • Registration can be completed by scanning the QR code on the collection bin at a participating Tesco store or by visiting the Recycle to Read Get Points page.

Toy Rehoming Events (Bonus Points)

• Participating Schools can claim an additional 50 Planet Care Points by hosting and registering a Toy Rehoming Event during the Campaign period. To claim these bonus points, schools must send a photo and event details (including the date, description, school name, and postcode) to info@recycletoread.org. Once the event details have been successfully verified by Wastebuster the bonus points will be awarded. Verification of Bonus Points takes up to 7 working days. Any Bonus Points must be successfully verified before 12:00 midday (GMT) on Wednesday 8th July 2026 to count towards the school’s total.
• Important: All toy rehoming events must be conducted in accordance with the British Toy and Hobbycraft Association (BTHA) guidelines for safe toy rehoming, and that it is solely responsible for:
  • Undertaking all necessary risk assessments,
  • Ensuring proper health and safety protocols are implemented, and
  • Maintaining any required insurance.

By registering a toy rehoming event, the Participating School acknowledges that it has read and will adhere to these guidelines, and that it is solely responsible for conducting all necessary risk assessments, ensuring proper health and safety protocols, and maintaining any required insurance. Failure to comply may result in the forfeiture of bonus points.

4.6 Promoters and Partners

• Promoter: Wastebuster CIC (company number: 05883640) is the promoter of the Campaign. Its registered address is The Bothy, Albury Park, Albury, Guildford, Surrey, GU5 9BH.
• Campaign Partners: The Campaign Partners are: Wastebuster, Products of Change, Tesco PLC, Mattel, Operational Partners and Members of Recycle to Read.

5. Community Champions Competition

5.1 Overview and Eligibility

• Tesco employees nominated as Community Champions have the opportunity to win the Recycle to Read “School Community Champion of the Year” award.
• To enter, nominees (or their colleagues) must email their details—including name, email address, store of employment, and a description of their promotional activities (with supporting evidence such as links or photographs)—to info@wastebuster.co.uk with the subject “Wastebuster Community Champions.”

5.2 Prizes

• The overall winner will receive either a £50 book voucher code for personal use at Collins Recycle to Read catalogue, or a £50 Tesco voucher, according to their preference. In addition, the school nominated by the winner will receive a £100 book voucher code. The nominated school will also be offered a celebration assembly delivered by Wastebuster, with an invitation extended to the store’s Community Champion to attend.
• The overall winner and their nominated school will feature on the Recycle To Read website and in internal Tesco communications.
• All entrants will receive a voucher code granting a 20% discount on the recommended retail price of books from the Collins Recycle to Read catalogue. This discount code may be used once in a single transaction.

5.3 Judging and Notification

• Entries will be assessed by a panel appointed by Tesco and Wastebuster based on initiative, campaign impact, creativity, quality of supporting evidence, and overall contribution.
• The deadline for entries is 12:00 (GMT) on 22nd May 2026, with the winner announced on Wednesday 8 July 2026. Voucher codes and certificates will be issued within 10 working days via the email provided.

5.4 Conditions

• Wastebuster reserves the right to modify or cancel the competition without prior notice.
• The provisions regarding the use of personal information (see Clause 6.6) apply.

6. Daily Book Giveaway (2026)

6.1 Overview

• The “Daily Book Giveaway” is a promotional prize draw that will run as part of the Recycle to Read campaign. Eligible participants (schools and individuals) will be entered into a daily prize draw to win children’s books.

6.2 Draw Structure

• The Daily Book Giveaway will be promoted as a daily prize draw, with one winner allocated per day
• For administrative purposes, seven (7) winners will be selected at the end of each week, representing each day of that week (Monday–Sunday)
• Each winner will be randomly selected from eligible entries received on the corresponding day

6.3 Draw Period

The Daily Book Giveaway will run in two phases:

• Phase 1: 22 April 2026 – 31 May 2026
  • Prizes fulfilled by campaign partners
• Phase 2: 1 June 2026 – 8 July 2026
  • Prizes fulfilled by the Promoter via a third-party supplier

6.4 Entry

• Each valid participation, as defined in the main campaign Terms and Conditions, will automatically enter the participant into the Daily Book Giveaway
• Entries will be allocated to the day on which they are received

6.5 Prizes

• Each winner will receive one (1) children’s book
• Books may include, but are not limited to:
  • The Little Coffee Cup
  • Justin the Dustbin
  • Other environmentally themed titles selected by the Promoter
• The Promoter reserves the right to substitute prizes with alternatives of equal or greater value where necessary

6.6 Winner Selection and Restrictions

• Winners will be selected at random
• No school or individual may win more than once in the Daily Book Giveaway
• Once selected as a winner, that school or individual will be excluded from all subsequent draws under this promotion

6.7 Notification and Fulfilment

• Winners may be notified up to 7 working days after the relevant draw period
• Winners must provide delivery details when requested

Fulfilment will be managed as follows:

• During Phase 1, prizes will be dispatched by campaign partners
• During Phase 2, prizes will be dispatched by a third-party supplier appointed by the Promoter

6.8 Data Sharing and Confidentiality

• Winner details (limited to name, school name where applicable, and delivery address) may be shared with fulfilment partners strictly for the purpose of prize delivery and fulfilment.
• All fulfilment partners must agree in writing that they will:
  • Use the data solely for fulfilment purposes
  • Not contact winners or schools for marketing or any other purposes without the Promoter’s prior written consent
  • Comply with all applicable data protection legislation

6.9 Additional Materials

• Prize fulfilment may include a printed letter provided by the Promoter

6.10 General

• This Daily Book Giveaway forms part of the overall Recycle to Read campaign and must be read in conjunction with the main Terms and Conditions
• The Promoter reserves the right to amend or withdraw this promotion at any time

7. My Toy and Me Competition (2026)

7.1 Overview

The “My Toy and Me” Competition (the “Competition”) is an additional creative writing competition delivered as part of the Recycle to Read campaign.

This Competition operates alongside the main Recycle to Read Terms and Conditions. Unless expressly stated otherwise, all existing Terms and Conditions apply.

7.2 Promoter

The Promoter is Wastebuster CIC (“the Promoter”).

7.3 Eligibility

• Open to children aged 4–11 years resident in the United Kingdom
• Entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, or teacher on behalf of the child
• Only one entry per child is permitted

7.4 Entry Requirements

• Entries must be original stories written by the child
• Entries may optionally include a drawing or photograph to accompany the story
• Entries must not contain any content that is inappropriate, offensive, or infringes the rights of any third party

7.5 Theme

Entries should tell a story about a toy, including:

• An adventure involving the toy, and
• What happens next, including whether the toy is rehomed or recycled

7.6 Deadline

• Entries must be received by midnight (UK time) on 1 July 2026
• Late entries will not be considered

7.7 Judging

• Entries will be judged based on creativity, imagination, and storytelling
• Consideration may also be given to how clearly the story reflects the theme of rehoming or recycling
• To ensure fairness, winners will be chosen separately for each age. This means there will be one winner aged 4, one aged 5, one aged 6, and so on, right up to age 11. 
• The Promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into

7.8 Prizes

• Winning entries will be included in a “My Toy and Me” book
• Winning children and their schools will each receive a copy of the book
• The book is intended to be published via a third-party publishing platform (such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing) or an alternative method at the Promoter’s discretion
• Any revenue generated from book sales will be reinvested into the Recycle to Read Book Fund, supporting the provision of books to schools and families
• The Promoter reserves the right to substitute prizes with alternatives of equal or greater value if necessary

7.9 Winner Announcement

• Winners will be announced on or around 8 July 2026

7.10 Intellectual Property and Usage Rights

By submitting an entry, the entrant (and their parent, guardian, or teacher on their behalf) agrees that the Promoter may:

• Publish, reproduce, and edit the entry (including text and any accompanying images)
• Use the entry in printed materials, digital content, and promotional communications
• Attribute the entry using the child’s first name, age, and school (where provided)

The entrant confirms that the submission is their own original work and does not infringe the rights of any third party.

The Promoter will not publish full personal details.

7.11 Data Protection

• Personal data will be used solely for the administration of this Competition
• Data will not be shared with third parties except where necessary for fulfilment or publication purposes
• All data will be handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation

 7.12 General

• The Promoter reserves the right to amend, suspend, or withdraw the Competition at any time where necessary
• Entry into the Competition constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions

8. General Terms and Conditions

8.1 Amendments

• Wastebuster and The Pod reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Changes will be communicated to Participating Schools and individuals via the contact email provided within 30 days of the change.

8.2 Precedence

• Where specific terms relating to particular materials or uses appear on The Pod or related websites, those terms shall prevail over these general Terms and Conditions.

8.3 Publicity and Licence

• By participating in the Campaign, each school consents to being publicly identified as a participant. Wastebuster grants each school a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use Campaign materials for promotional purposes until the school’s participation ends or the Campaign concludes.

8.4 Intellectual Property

• Wastebuster retains full control and ownership of all intellectual property rights associated with the Campaign, whether existing or developed in the future. All intellectual property rights in the Campaign materials (including branding, artwork, videos, and educational content) are and shall remain the exclusive property of Wastebuster or its licensors. These materials may not be reproduced, distributed, or modified without prior written consent.

8.5 Liability and Indemnity

• Except in cases of fraud, Wastebuster shall not be liable for any loss or damage (whether arising in contract, tort—including negligence—or otherwise) in connection with the Campaign or any Competitions. This includes any loss resulting from unredeemed voucher code value.
• Wastebuster does not limit its liability where such limitation is unlawful (including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for fraud/fraudulent misrepresentation).
• Wastebuster shall not be held liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations under these Terms and Conditions if such delay or failure is caused by events beyond its reasonable control.

8.6 Use of Personal Information

• All personal information collected in relation to the Campaign will be processed in accordance with our Data Protection Notice. An adult’s email address is required when registering a recycling visit to validate entries and administer Leaderboard rewards, and provide campaign updates. Personal information will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes without consent.

8.7 Corporate Support and Donations

• Wastebuster administers the distribution of corporate donations of new books to schools. Businesses wishing to donate books or become corporate supporters should contact our corporate team at info@wastebuster.co.uk.
• Similarly, a winning school may request to donate its reward voucher to another eligible UK school or community group by replying to the prize notification email or contacting info@wastebuster.co.uk.

8.8 Campaign Termination and Costs

• Wastebuster may terminate the Campaign by giving 60 days’ written notice to Participating Schools.
• Participating Schools are responsible for any costs incurred in connection with the Campaign, except where expressly agreed otherwise in writing by Wastebuster.

8.9 Relationship

• Participation in the Campaign does not create a partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship between the school and Wastebuster. Neither party shall represent itself as an agent or employee of the other.

8.10 Collection Bin Issues

• Any issues with collection bins are managed by Wastebuster and not by Tesco staff. For any bin-related problems, please contact info@recycletoread.org.

8.11 Governing Law and Jurisdiction

• These Terms and Conditions and the Campaign shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

By participating in the Recycle to Read Toys Campaign, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.