Bobcats Give Back

REDUCE, REUSE, RETURN

Learn how you can get involved in the unique move-out program leading the charge for sustainable resource recovery at Texas State University.

Spring 2024 Impact Report

IN ACTION

Donate

Donation stations will be available at each on-campus residential hall. We accept 6 different categories of materials.

sort

Materials are sorted and weighed by staff and volunteers at a designated sorting location.

shop

To encourage the reuse and redistribution of goods, nonprofits, students, and residents can take items for free on Community Shopping Days.

A landfill with seagulls flying overhead

Why waste?

In one of the fastest growing counties in the country, it is more important than ever that institutions promote efforts to decrease waste being funneled into the state's already strained landfills. Read more about nationwide facts and figures regarding waste and recycling to understand the necessity of sustainable resource recovery in the modern era.

What Goes Around...

A circular economy is a system focused on limiting raw material use, designing resource friendly products, and recapturing waste. Bobcats Give Back focuses on the last element of a circular economy, ensuring that items otherwise destined for a landfill can instead be rerouted to food banks, thrift stores, organizations fighting homelessness, local school districts, and any student or San Marcos resident in need. Read more about what it means to promote and participate in a circular economy below.

A student rides a bike down N LBJ Dr.

Residence Hall Collection

Check back later for Spring 2025 dates

Residential Hall Lobbies & Common Areas

Drive-Thru Collection

Check back later for Spring 2025 dates

San Marcos Campus

Bobcats Give Back staff pose with acceptable materials.

What Do We Accept?

Bobcats Give Back accepts materials in good condition that fall within the following 6 main categories 

  1. Wardrobe: gently-used clothing, accessories, and shoes
  2. Home-goods: kitchen items, office supplies, décor, and storage
  3. Electronics and small appliances: kitchen gadgets, devices, batteries, lightbulbs
  4. Non-perishable food items
  5. Hygiene and home cleaners: unopened soaps, cleaning sprays, first aid, wipes, and cleaning equipment such as mops, brooms, and vacuums
  6. Beddings and towels: sheets, comforters, blankets, curtains, and towels

What We Don't Accept

  • Mattress pads and personal pillows
  • Undergarments and socks
  • Clothing that is stained, worn out, stretched, or ripped
  • Damaged or broken glasses, bowls, and plates
  • Dirty dishes
  • Visibly broken devices and appliances
  • Opened personal hygiene items
  • Medication, prescriptions, and sharps
  • Opened household cleaning products
  • Opened cans, jars, and other food packages
Students look through a pile of free clothes on a table.
Falls

23 Residence Halls serviced in Spring 2023

16+ local business and nonprofit partnerships

Four
A

20,000+ lbs of donated items collected since 2018

The Bobcats Give Back logo

Program Sponsors

The TXST Department of Housing and Residential Life logo
The TXST Office of Sustainability logo
texas state university facilities logo