Pack It Up, Pass It On benefits United Way of Hays County clients

By Jordan Gass-Pooré
University News Service
August 2, 2011

The 10th Annual Pack It Up and Pass It On free shopping day will take place 7-10 a.m. Aug. 4 in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom on the Texas State University-San Marcos campus.

The ballroom will be set up in a giant “garage sale” atmosphere where United Way of Hays County agency clients can gather items.

Pack It Up and Pass It On is Texas State’s largest recycling “reuse” event that diverts more than seven tons of items from area landfills and helps more than 1,000 San Marcos residents each year.

“Pack It Up and Pass It On focuses on the ‘reuse’ of the three recycling R’s—
reduce, reuse and recycle,” said Kim Porterfield, director of Texas State Community
Relations. “It’s true recycling. ‘Pack It Up and Pass It On’ matches unwanted items that
students normally throw away at the end of the semester with local needy citizens who
can use them.”

A Texas State Environmental Service Fee grant allowed student workers to gather donations from resident halls. The Environmental Service committee has funded several other “green” activities, such as the Bobcat Blend recycling program and the spring E-Waste event.

A pilot program that is working with off-campus multifamily communities will capture items from students living off campus in San Marcos.

“We’re thrilled that these multifamily properties have stepped up to be a part of Pack It Up,” Porterfield said. “We hope to show that working together, we can reduce the waste stream from off-campus student housing and increase donations to local needy residents.”

Other supporters of the program include the PODS Corporation, which supplies a free storage POD for the off-campus pilot program and a discount on other services. Collection barrels were placed in each Texas State residence hall lobby and university apartment complexes. Students donated clothes, shoes, books, carpets, linens, kitchen items or anything else reusable and in good condition until final move-out May 13.

Donations for the “Pack It Up and Pass It On” free shopping day can be brought to the LBJ Student Center Ballroom between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. August 1-3. To find out how to help with this year’s “Pack It Up and Pass It On” free shopping day, call the Office of Community Relations at (512) 245-9645 or visit www.txstate.edu/ community.