Every Texan can get involved in community activities that help keep our air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste.
The following links give you access to programs where Texans can volunteer or just learn more about local efforts to Take Care of Texas.
Mickey Leland Environmental Internship Program interns collaborate with scientific, technical, and business leaders at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), other state agencies, or private industry employers across the beautiful state of Texas.
GO TEXAN, a program of the Texas Department of Agriculture, is dedicated to showcasing products and businesses made right here in the Lone Star State. Buying local reduces the amount of fuel burned to transport goods.
State of Texas Alliance for Recycling is on a mission to advance recycling through partnerships, education, and advocacy for the benefit of Texas. STAR works to help recycling professionals, educate the public and lawmakers, expand access to recycling, develop infrastructure, and grow recycling markets in Texas.
EnviroMentor volunteers are qualified professionals with technical or legal expertise on environmental issues who help small businesses, local governments, water and wastewater systems, and school districts with state environmental rules.
Keep Texas Beautiful is a network of dedicated Texans working together to make our state the best place to live, work, and play. KTB equips local partners and affiliates with the tools they need to build vibrant, engaged communities.
Galveston Bay Estuary Program provides comprehensive ecosystem management through collaborative partnerships and to ensure preservation of Galveston Bay’s multiple uses.
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program is dedicated to protecting our bays and estuaries while supporting continued economic growth and public use of the bays.
Texas Clean Rivers Program is a partnership between the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and regional water authorities to coordinate and conduct water quality monitoring, assessment, and stakeholder participation to improve the quality of surface water within each river basin in Texas.
Texas Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program helps people and communities can work together to protect their streams, lakes, and bays by getting involved in developing TMDLs and their implementation plan.
Texas Stream Team brings together community members, students, educators, academic researchers, environmental professionals, and both public and private sector partners to conduct scientific research and to promote environmental stewardship of Texas waterways.
Texas Forest Stewardship Program promotes land stewardship to landowners all over Texas. TFS foresters are available to help you develop a plan for a brighter future with thriving forestlands, healthy economic rewards and sustained environmental benefits.
Texas Adopt-A-Highway Program is a Texas-born program that allows volunteers to adopt stretches of state-maintained roadway to conduct litter pickups.
Texas Adopt-A-Beach Program organizes volunteer beach cleanup events along the Texas coast.
Don't Mess with Texas teaches Texans the real cost of littering. Whether the message appears on a billboard, TV, or a screen, we’re proud of our advertising and the impact it has had on helping reduce litter in Texas.
River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash is the largest, single-day waterway cleanup in Texas.
Texas Master Gardeners are members of the local community who take an active interest in their lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers and gardens. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and to help others, and able to communicate with diverse groups of people.
Texas Master Naturalist develops a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their Texas communities.
Texas State Parks Volunteer Opportunities help carry out Texas State Parks’ mission to manage state parks and historic sites to conserve natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas’ lands and heritage for all generations.
Texas Outdoor Family Workshops hosts workshops at state parks all over Texas to help your family learn to set up a tent, cook outdoors, build a campfire, and play outside. They provide all the equipment, too!
Texas Wildscapes Certification is a way for wildlife enthusiasts to provide the basics will make your garden more attractive to native wildlife.
EcoRise inspires a new generation of leaders to design a sustainable future for all with school-based programs empower youth to tackle real-world challenges in their schools and communities by teaching sustainability, design innovation, and social entrepreneurship.
Texas Children in Nature has a mission to ensure equitable access and connection to nature for all children in Texas through a grassroots network of over 500 partner organizations and individuals.
Recycling Programs of the TCEQ is a comprehensive list of resources from Texas’ own environmental regulation agency. Start here for all of your recycling questions.
TexasRecyclesComputers.org is the place to start if you have old computers or other electronics to recycle, using a list of manufacturers’ recycling programs.
TexasRecyclesTVs.org is the best place to find a recycler for your old TV.
Contacts for Local Household Hazardous Waste Programs helps you find the nearest location to safely drop off household hazardous waste like chemicals, fluorescent lightbulbs, fuel, and paint.
National Recycling Coalition is a non-profit organization that is focused on the promotion and enhancement of recycling in the United States. NRC provides tools and resources to decision makers about the important benefits that recycling provides to our economy and environment.
State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) is a nonprofit on a mission to advance recycling through partnerships, education, and advocacy for the benefit of Texas. STAR helps recycling professionals educate the public and lawmakers, expand access to recycling, develop infrastructure, and grow recycling markets in Texas.
Earth 911 - Recycling Centers Listed by City or ZIP Code is a comprehensive, searchable database of recyclers and drop-off centers where you can responsibly dispose of recyclable items and materials.
Texas Residential Recycling Programs TCEQ has compiled a list of recycling programs in Texas cities. Look for your local program for specifics about what should and should not go in your local recycle bins.
