SINGAPORE - If you are thinking of throwing away your old textbooks, you can donate them to less fortunate students at any NTUC FairPrice store.

Under the Share-A-Textbook project, the public can donate their textbooks at any FairPrice outlet, even those at Esso service stations, from Nov 6 to Dec 7.

The supermarket chain is partnering volunteer welfare organisations and community development councils to shortlist names of students from low-income families who will be given priority to choose the textbooks that they need.

About 20,000 primary and secondary school students are expected to benefit.

After the needy students have picked their textbooks, the public will be invited to choose from the remaining collection. They can do so at three schools - Gan Eng Seng Secondary, Changkat Changi Secondary and Yio Chu Kang Secondary - on Dec 14.

This year, FairPrice aims to collect 400,000 textbooks that are still in good condition, a 5 per cent increase from last year.

The Share-a-Textbook drive is into its 32nd edition and it has collected more than 3.1 million books over the years. This equates to more than 37,000 trees saved, said FairPrice chief executive Seah Kian Peng at the launch of the drive on Nov 6.

"These books are a great help to those from a less privileged background," he said.

Mr Seah raised the example of Madam Ginny Chan and her twin sister, Jenny, who, back in the 80s, woke up at 5am to queue for the second-hand textbooks. Today, as parents, the Chan sisters are donating their children's textbooks.

"I have imparted these values to my son. I hope the public will come forward to donate their books and lessen the financial burden of families in need," said Madam Ginny Chan.

FairPrice will also give out $580,000 worth of study grants to help over 1,000 students.