Temple Landfill sits at 706 Landfill Road, at the end of East Avenue H on the east side of Loop 363. It is owned by the City of Temple but operated by Waste Management under a lease, and it handles something like 1,650 tons a day, so it is a working regional site rather than a quiet municipal tip.

For a City of Temple resident the deal is straightforward: one pickup load of general household waste per month, free. The proof requirement is unusually specific and worth reading twice - the city asks for a paper copy of your City of Temple utility bill that clearly shows you are billed for residential garbage service. A photo on a phone is not what the page describes.

Everyone else pays. The minimum charge is $55.37 plus a $0.94 State Fee, and that is a minimum rather than a rate, so a small load costs the same as a nearly full one. If you are just over the county line or hauling for someone else, that number is the one to plan around.

Three gate rules are enforced and each has caught people out. Every load must be fully covered and tarped or a fee is added. Anyone unloading must wear a reflective safety vest. And children are not permitted in the landfill at all, which rules out the school-holiday clear-out with the kids in the back seat. Hazardous waste is not accepted here, per WM's own facility record.

One further note if you are hauling brush rather than rubbish: the city takes brush year-round at its Solid Waste Complex, open Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm, and diverts it to the Temple-Belton wastewater plant for compost and mulch rather than burying it. That is usually the cheaper and quicker trip. Residents also get one brush and one bulky item collection per quarter, up to six cubic yards, scheduled by calling 254-298-5000.