San Antonio, TX

The Collection Bins Project

Plastic pollution has become a growing challenge in San Antonio. After the Texas Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that local plastic bag bans were unenforceable, single-use plastic bags quickly returned to stores. Despite sustainability efforts such as H-E-B’s reusable bag initiatives and recycling programs, countless plastic bags still accumulate in homes or end up as litter in our streets and waterways.

During visits to senior communities across the city, Hadi Salim saw this problem firsthand: drawers and closets overflowing with unused plastic bags. That’s when the idea for The Collection Bins Project was born—to transform this waste into a resource that serves our community. The project places collection bins in senior centers throughout San Antonio to gather excess plastic bags. The collected bags are then used by volunteers to weave durable sleeping mats for individuals experiencing homelessness.

For over a year, Conviva Legacy Place served as a successful production site for the project, where volunteers transformed collected plastic bags into sleeping mats. Unfortunately, the collaboration could not continue, and the team has since moved its efforts to SAMMinistries while continuing to work toward expanding the project by identifying additional community organizations that can serve as collection or mat-production partners.

Our impact grows with every volunteer:

Teens can help with pickups, sorting, or education campaigns
Adults can contribute skills in logistics, management, communications, or outreach
Everyone can make a difference — even one donated bag matters

Together, we can protect our planet, reduce plastic waste, and bring hope to those who need it most. A single bag placed in a collection bin can ripple outward—helping both the environment and our neighbors. Together, we can turn waste into hope.