Parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are actively participating in exchanging educational materials and donating nearly unused school uniforms, aiming to cut costs and promote sustainable development.
Several platforms are available through WhatsApp groups and websites that simplify this process. Rashi, a resident of Dubai, founded the platform Step Up, designed to assist parents across the UAE in purchasing or donating second-hand school uniforms. She initiated this effort after her two children began growing quickly and outgrowing their uniforms.
Rashi, who worked in the fashion industry, noted that recycling or donating these uniforms to poorer countries carries a certain carbon footprint. She emphasized that many clothing items are in perfect condition and can be reused. According to the initiative's website data, only 1 percent of clothing is recycled into new products, and reusing one item saves 2700 liters of water.
The Step Up platform features over 100 uniform items from various UAE schools, complete with size specifications. Prices start from 15 dirhams. Launched in August 2025, the platform has gained popularity among parents, and according to Rashi, it offers uniform collection services.
In some cases, schools support the parent community to facilitate such exchanges. Mohammed Iqbal, whose children attend Cambridge International School in Dubai, stated that he has been buying used textbooks for his children for two years. He mentioned that the parent committee created a Telegram group where parents can sell or exchange their books. He noted that the school supports this process, which greatly benefits parents.
In this group, which has over 400 members, parents can easily find the books they need from other parents. Mohammed Iqbal added that over the past two years, he has saved at least 300 dirhams on educating both children, as new books are expensive, and buying used ones helps the back-to-school budget while being an eco-friendly choice.
Volunteers also help maintain these exchanges. At Safa Community School in Dubai, parents have the opportunity to donate their used uniforms. Parent Sadia Anwar shared that the initiative, which started as a WhatsApp group, now has a permanent place at the school. The school has allocated a small room to store donated uniforms, allowing parents to view the collection. Two school parents volunteer in this shop.
Sadia Anwar noted that this initiative has been extremely helpful for her. Since her daughter grows very fast, she felt it was wrong to simply throw away almost new uniforms. Therefore, she began donating them through the school's initiative. Last year, she was also able to purchase sports tops from this shop, which was incredibly useful as she did not have to spend over 100 dirhams on a single top.
As the costs of preparing for the academic year rise, initiatives like these demonstrate that saving money and caring for the planet can go hand in hand.