THE country’s first and only digital toy sharing app, set up by a Carrigaline-based researcher, has already re-homed 6,650 toys and saved 4.78 tons of plastic, with plans to expand in the pipeline.

Called The Toy Library, it’s designed to provide a sustainable solution to tackle toy-related waste and is the brainchild of Italian woman Giorgia Anile who has been living in Cork since 2011, working as a researcher in the tech industry.

Her ‘why’ moment to developing the concept was the experience of being a mother of a young child and at the same time a design researcher.

‘I wasn’t happy with the amount of toys we were gathering in my house, and with the fact that they were mostly made of plastic. I also wasn’t happy about Facebook being pretty much the only platform available for freecycling.

‘I couldn’t accept that there wasn’t a better way to share and recirculate these toys, and so I pretty much decided to create it. I was lucky that Rethink Ireland and my Local Enterprise Office (South Cork) decided to believe in the idea, and supported me so I could create the platform,’ said Giorgia.

The Toy Library is essentially a digital platform where people can sign up for free and list any toys they’d like to give away - but also take any pre-loved toys from other families in their community. Its twin goals are: sustainability and community.

‘Think of an online marketplace, but without buying or selling, just giving and taking. I like to call it “a caring platform”. Beyond the digital platform, we also host local community “Swap & Play” events, where families come together, swap their toys, teach the kids about the Circular Economy, and engage in many family fun activities for a few hours of family fun,’ said Giorgia.

The impact has been incredible.

‘Since the beginning, June ‘24 up until December 2025, we re-homed 6650 toys, saved 4.78 tons of plastic, deflected 28.77 tons of CO2, for a total toy value of €103,888. Overall, over 6000 people have availed of our services through our platform or our events,’ she said.

There’s no charge for using The Toy Library. ‘The platform is free for everyone to use. We support ourselves through our very popular Swap & Play events, which are funded by local authorities, local development companies, and corporate sponsors,’ explained Giorgia.

The Toy Library is the only digital sharing platform for toys, and it’s available nationwide and was recently awarded the RDS Circular Economy Award in the Emerging category. This was part of the RDS Foundation Awards, which celebrates the leaders who are already ‘finding common ground’ proving that a thriving economy and the environment can go hand in hand.

‘This is a very important recognition as the selection process for these awards is incredibly thorough. We are excited about what this means for us and potential collaborations with other circular economy initiatives,’ said Giorgia.

Plans to expand are always being looked at. ‘At the moment our goal is to make sure our Swap & Play events take place in every local authority in Ireland. We have also created a new service, Sensory Swap & Play, co-designed with members of The Toy Library, aimed more at neurodivergent children and their families.

‘We are hoping that local authorities and local development companies will support this new initiative and help us create even more inclusive play-spaces, at no cost to the planet or the wallet,’ said Giorgia who is currently doing a PhD in UCC in Human Computer Interaction, exploring how digital platforms can enable circular practices in citizens.

See:  www.thetoylibrary.ie