Parents looking to dispose of children’s old textbooks after exams can list them free of cost for sale or donation at www.sumrux.com. “Listing takes about a minute only and could help someone in need,” says KrupaTS, founder of the social enterprise.Conserving resources for future generations is the vision of Sumrux, says Krupa, adding, “If every student in Bengaluru takes part in the eco textbook campaign, we can save enough trees that can fill Bannerghatta National Park.”Sumrux charges a nominal fee for the service. “If a book gets sold for Rs 100, we charge the buyer and seller Rs 5 each. The service fee is used for website maintenance,” said Krupa, who has worked in waste management before. She said there are no physical drop or pick-up points because sorting and standardizing across schools and book lists is difficult. Instead, items are listed online with filters including school, grade, board, and subjects. Owners can accept or reject requests, and once accepted, the requester receives contact details to coordinate pickup directly.Krupa, a software engineer whose last stint was with Microsoft, noted higher demand for books of lower classes as parents want backup sets in case children lose books.Book Swap Events In Apartments
A pilot project for book swap events is being planned in apartment complexes in B’luru
Krupa believes that apartment complexes can play a key role in promoting a culture of reduce and reuse and a pilot project to promote sustainable consumption is being planned in apartment complexes in the city. “We’re seeking any apartment willing to try this, especially during summer holidays when kids could help,” says Krupa.Sumrux also supports exchange and sale of toys, clothes and jewellery.
